Sérgio Conceição will do nothing less. Despite knowing that the draw in Barcelona (Tuesday at 8 p.m., TVI) could qualify FC Porto for the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Porto coach wants to beat Barcelona if Shahktar loses to Antwerp: “A good result will be a win, without a doubt. I hope for a great night, because it will take a great night to take the win from here. To achieve perfection.”
“Watch the match without looking too much at the table” is the motto of the Porto coach to avoid a “distraction that could be fatal”, the coach warned in the preview of the fifth round match of Group H of the Champions League.
Without missing the opportunity to remember that tonight’s match is “two of the clubs that have the most presence in the best club competition in the world”, the coach of the Dragons devalued the “crisis or pseudo-crisis” of the Catalans. “I am always suspicious of these very positive results. We are going to find a very strong team, full of good players. A coach with a lot of experience, in this competition and in others. They have already won titles, there are no easy things for everyone , we are waiting for a very strong Barcelona,” Conceição said.
Graduated from La Másia, Nico González has found it difficult to stand up for himself: “To play for FC Porto, even if you come from Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid… It’s not easy. using a Portuguese expression. Anyway, there will be games in the future, tomorrow (today) who knows. He has a lot of quality, we are very happy with him, just like other players. There is always an adjustment period, that is normal. I count on him 100%.”
Pepe and Zaidu are back, but Sérgio Conceição said he doesn’t know if they are “ready for 90 minutes”. The (probable) return of this “great player” named Pepe is “bad news” for João Cancelo. The Portuguese full-back was the player chosen by Barcelona to anticipate the match against the Dragons and also defended João Félix: “If he scores tomorrow, he will be the best in the world again.” Xavi also chose to praise his opponent. For the Barcelona coach, “FC Porto is a high-level champion team” and “well worked by Sérgio Conceição”.
Both Cancelo and Xavi acknowledged that Barça’s performance and results are below expectations. Therefore, the meeting with the Dragons is “a final”, especially since the two teams are tied at the top of Group H of the Champions League.
And if Sérgio Conceição is suspicious of Barcelona’s pseudo-crisis, he is no less suspicious of the praise. “I don’t know what’s going on in the minds of Xavi and João [Cancelo]. I don’t really like compliments, but whether it’s from coaches or players, on the eve of games. I don’t like it, but it’s part of my characteristics as a person. I could be overjoyed, but I’m not. The responsibility is always the same: win the game and do your best. I appreciate Xavi’s compliments, I answer it in the same way, adding one more thing and saying that he was a different player than me, but of very high quality. Now he’s proving himself to be a great coach. I have already praised the Barcelona team. I think that’s enough.” And so Conceição closed the preview conference for today’s game now you praise me, now I praise…
Source: DN
