Sporting’s coach, Rúben Amorim, considered this Sunday that the team has more cushion in important matches than in other seasons, despite the defeats against Benfica and Atalanta, which must be corrected in the 12th round of the I Football League.
“Now we are more prepared for these games than the first year, where we didn’t lose any, but we weren’t better prepared either. There are things that can’t be explained. I always believe we can win.” I look at this team and now we have many more things. It’s very clear, but people look at the results a lot, it’s my turn to not just look at that,” said the coach.
In a press conference prior to the reception of Gil Vicente, the coach of the green and white team reinforced that the championship is the “great priority”, after the Portuguese Cup matches (8-0 against Dumiense) and the Europa League (1-1 against the Italian Atalanta), serving this last duel to prepare for a “complicated match” at home.
“It is clear to everyone where we went wrong in the game against Atalanta. We worked and prepared as tactically as possible for this game, against a team with a coach who won here last year and who plays very well. The three midfielders play very good. They are very good with the ball and can create problems for us. It is a complicated game, we want and need to win again to continue on our path,” said Rúben Amorim, 38 years old.
The coach also reinforced that the defeat against Benfica and the draw against Atalanta, which, despite guaranteeing progress, prevented the ‘lions’ from reaching the top of their group in the Europa League, are something “that cannot be explained and it can’t have anything to do with it.” with mentality.”
“Just like in our first season, the teams that win titles are the teams that, even if they don’t play well, find a way to win. We like to complicate things, we have the game under control, we let it run until the end” . “In the end we suffered a little. We are very competent and competitive in what we do. This year we are doing well in the championship, we should have won the last game, but we have to correct those mistakes,” he highlighted. .
Pedro Gonçalves missed several blatant scoring opportunities in Bergamo, which ended up costing Sporting the victory, but Rúben Amorim highlighted that it is a phase he is going through, as a result of the demands and numbers he presented in other seasons.
“These are phases that happen to the players. He has had very good phases, he demands a lot from himself. Five goals and three assists for a midfielder, at the beginning of the championship, are not enough for him. Matching year after year is very difficult.” . I really like everything Pote does, he has played very well, he is very intelligent and helps the team. He has to get back on the train and I’m sure he will do it,” he stated.
Thus, Rúben Amorim assumed that Pedro Gonçalves will play on Monday, while the Swede Viktor Gyökeres is in doubt, although he will be called up. Ivan Fresneda and Daniel Bragança continue to recover and are absent from the game.
Sporting, second classified, with 28 points, receives Gil Vicente, 13th, with 11, on Monday, at 8:15 p.m., at the José Alvalade stadium, in Lisbon, in a match on the 12th round of the I Liga, which will be played It will be refereed by Cláudio Pereira, from the Aveiro Football Association.
Source: TSF
