'Clashing Korean Derby' Lee Hyun-joo starts, Hwang In-beom enters in second half; the Korean duo never meets... Porto defeats Arouca for third straight win

*This content was translated by AI.

The anticipated Korean derby did not take place. The matchup between Korea national team midfielder Hwang In-beom (FC Porto) and 'top prospect' Lee Hyun-joo (Arouca) has been postponed to a future date.

On the 24th (Korea time), Porto secured a 2-0 victory over Arouca in a home match at Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, during Round 3 of the 2026–2027 Primeira Liga season.

With this win, Porto extended their winning streak to three matches (9 points) and moved into first place in the league. Meanwhile, Arouca, which had started the season strongly with two consecutive wins, failed to overcome Porto's defense and suffered its first defeat of the campaign, dropping to fifth place with 2 wins, 1 loss (6 points).

For Korean football fans, the match also drew attention regarding whether Hwang In-beom and Lee Hyun-joo would face each other.

Lee Hyun-joo was the one who secured an early opportunity. While Lee started on the lineup sheet, Hwang began the game from the bench.

Leading Arouca's attack, Lee started as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, facing a strong opponent like Porto, he struggled to create many chances in attack.

Until being substituted in the second half at the 17th minute, Lee recorded 28 ball touches, attempted 17 passes with 14 completed for an 82% success rate. He took one shot that missed the target.

However, he contributed defensively by winning one aerial duel and recording one clearance and one interception each.

Until Lee left the field, Hwang In-beom remained on Porto's bench. The expected direct matchup between the two Korean midfielders was naturally canceled out.

Coincidentally, the balance of the match shifted immediately after Lee was substituted. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Gabriel Veiga scored the opening goal for Porto, putting them ahead 1-0.

After taking the lead, Porto began managing the game through substitutions in the second half, and Hwang In-beom received his chance to play. He entered the field at the 31st minute of the second half, replacing Veiga, the scorer of the opening goal. Ultimately, the two players never shared the same pitch for even a single minute that day.

Hwang In-beom also had limited impact due to his short playing time. Over approximately 14 minutes, he recorded three ball touches and completed both of his two attempted passes.

Football statistics platform FootMob rated Lee Hyun-joo at 6.1 and Hwang In-beom at 5.9.

Portuguese media Avante evaluated Arouca's attacking line, including Lee Hyun-joo, stating, "They all faced the same problem: they barely touched the ball." Regarding Hwang In-beom, the outlet noted, "His playing time was short," and added, "The most noticeable moment was when he committed a rough foul and received a yellow card."

Even after Hwang In-beom entered the field, Porto maintained its lead steadily. In the 41st minute of the second half, Borja Sainz scored a decisive goal by receiving a pass from Pepe, sealing the match.

Arouca attempted to mount a comeback in the remaining time but ultimately failed to breach Porto's goal. The match concluded with a 2-0 victory for Porto.

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*This content was translated by AI.