Three of Portugal’s top four sides sold a key player on deadline day, with Enzo Fernández and Pedro Porro trading Lisbon for London and Vitinha heading for Marseille. Porto, meanwhile, conducted no business whatsoever. Sérgio Conceição’s side closed out the month by beating Sporting 2-0 in the Taça da Liga Final to collect their trophy for the first time in club history since its introduction in 2007. They have collected the last four available trophies – the Taça da Liga, the Supertaça, the Taça de Portugal and the Primeira Liga title – and have dropped points on just one occasion since the start of November, a 0-0 draw to Casa Pia on January 7.

Porto have conceded two goals in their last 11 matches in all competitions and have dropped points at home on just one occasion since the start of March – a 1-0 loss to Benfica on October 12. They’ll be looking to continue that stellar form as they take on eighth-placed Vizela at the Dragão. Having replaced manager Álvaro Pacheco with Manuel Tulipa during the World Cup, Vizela returned from the break with a 3-0 victory against Vitória de Guimarães before losing 2-1 at Famalicão and thrashing Marítimo 3-0. They would fall to a 2-1 defeat to Sporting with Porro scoring a 95th-minute penalty to secure the win, before beating Rio Ave 3-1.

Since ending a 36-year top-flight absence in 2021, Vizela have faced off against Porto on five occasions, losing 4-0 in the league, 3-1 in the Taça de Portugal and 4-2 in the league. Iván Marcano headed home in the 90th minute to secure a 1-0 victory for Porto on August 14, and four months later, they defeated Vizela 4-0 in the Taça da Liga. I’m backing Porto to come away with the victory here – whilst both teams have been in great form as of late, Porto have more firepower in attack with Evanilson returning to the side after a month-long injury, having marked his return with an assist in a 2-0 win against Marítimo on Wednesday.

The Dragons will be looking to take care of business at home against Vizela before a busy fortnight that will see them play Viseu in the Taça de Portugal quarterfinals, Sporting and Rio Ave in the league and Inter in the Champions League Round of 16. Porto have won 12 of their last 15 matches in all competitions by a margin of at least two goals – I’m backing that pattern to continue as they attempt to make up ground in the title race.

Those who want to see an attractive game of football should take some time to watch Union play. The team from Brussels is doing unexpectedly well again this season. Together with Antwerp, they are the only team within striking distance of league leading Genk. Moreover, they are also in the semi-finals of the Croky Cup.  The first leg against Antwerp was won 1-0, the return leg promises to be an exciting clash between two of the best sides in the country.

Zulte Waregem managed to score in 6 of their 7 matches in 2023. Although the team is still struggling with relegation woes, this statistic is encouraging for them. The acquisitions of Vormer and Brüls are exactly what the club needs. In addition, they finally can again turn to the experienced striker Vossen, who spent a prolonged period on the sideline with illness

Up front, there is now enough quality to get out of the relegation zone, although it is important to keep things tight at the back. Union’s attacking talent will ensure that even the smallest mistakes can be punished. The Brussels side lost crowd favourite Vanzeir to New York in the winter transfer window, but still remains dangerous with players like Teuma, Lapoussin and Boniface, whilst the talented Vertessen was rented from PSV as a replacement for Vanzeir.

We expect Union will have to fight for victory. They usually play better at home, but also Waregem has nothing to lose in this match. Both teams are still active in the Croky Cup, so some rotation is possible. These rotations could cause some errors. And with the class up front for both teams, the errors could well lead to goals. Union have only failed to score on three occasions this season, impressive for a team often rotating its players as they fight on three fronts.

Just two games into the season and Once Caldas manager Diego Corredor is already on the rocks. Already before their last game, a limp 1-1 home draw against Tolima, Once fans had turned their wrath on their head coach by unfurling a banner calling for his head. Leaflets by fan groups are now flying around asking him to do the decent thing and go.

It’s been four years since Once Caldas, a former Copa Libertadores winner, made the top eight to qualify for the definitive phase of the title race. And one point from six in 2023 isn’t the most inspiring start. Yet it’s the dour and deeply rigid pragmatic style that Corredor has persisted with ever since he took over that has most irked fans.

With two local heroes, striker Dayro Moreno and creative wizard Sherman Cardenas, returning to the club at the start of the year, hopes were raised that Corredor might be a bit more adventurous. Yet their only goal this season has come courtesy of a clumsy penalty. Corredor is not a bad manager, but his teams just do not entertain. And the philosophy of Corredor’s teams is always to defend deep, maintain tight space between the lines and risk little.

Cali are another team managed by a coach who has long been famous for his negative football. Jorge Luis Pinto, who led defensively solid Costa Rica to a quarter-final finish at the 2014 World Cup, now sits in the dugout at the Palmaseca. He claims he has returned to crisis-hit Cali out of love for the team.

Cali are around $20 million in debt and have had to release most of their stars from last year when they finished with the second fewest points over the entire year. Faith has now been placed in Cali’s famed youth system to turn the club around.

But pre-season results have been worrying and the pessimism that drowned the club last term still has not shifted. These are early days in the new Colombian season, but playing not to lose already seems to be the order for both teams.

Apertura champions in June, six months later Nacional finished the year in turmoil after failing to qualify for the top eight in the clausura championship. For Colombia’s biggest and most successful club, it was simply not good enough. Now onto their third manager since lifting the title eight months ago, Nacional have opted for a radical change in direction. Under returning coach Paulo Autuori, the Brazilian has turned to Nacional’s youth team for fresh inspiration. In their first two league matches this season, Autuori has packed the first team with U-20 players. Much has been made of Nacional latest crop of youngsters with influential fan groups urging a clear-out of last season’s aging stars in favour of young players like Oscar Perea, Jhon Solis and Tomás Ángel, the son of Juan Pablo. But few expected such blind faith to be lumped so soon on a bunch of kids.

Early signs have been mixed, which is perhaps to be expected with such a daring change of strategy involving inexperienced players. Patience will clearly be needed and, with four points from six, there will be no reaching for the axe just yet even if last week’s 1-1 draw with Rionegro was fortunate. Jaguares, however, will be a serious test for the new project. A trip to the hot and sweaty Caribbean coast is never an easy game. And ever since Jaguares were promoted to the top flight in 2015 the Monteria side have picked up the majority of their points at home. Just last year, nine of their 12 wins came in front of their home fans. Nacional are the better team, even with half their expected starting XI filled with youth players. But the markets heavily favour them, with a Nacional win as low as evens. These are early days and little can be read into results and performances seen thus far. But there’s sufficient reason to be cautious with Nacional, so the wise move would be to jump on the Jaguares handicap of +1.