“If Tottenham scores first, it will be very difficult for Sporting.” And that is why, according to Rúben Amorim, the intention is not to give the Englishmen the ball and thus to contest the three points and the qualification in Tuesday’s meeting, at Estádio José Alvalade (17.45, Eleven Sports), of the second round of the Champions League groups: “Looking at the pieces and the club itself is the favourite, but everyone has a chance in the group. I always believe Sporting has a chance.”
The absence of central Luís Neto and St. Juste worries about Tottenham’s attack due to injury? “It’s always worrying, the opponent’s strengths worry us. We lost the lock we had, that was to St. Juste, who was the fastest, who probably suited Son well. We had Neto who is quite experienced. We would have someone to cancel the speed on the back. But Inácio was part of the season there, Esgaio could be the option to move a winger forward. We shall see. I already know who’s going to play, but I don’t want to say that yet. It’s a big concern, but we’ll see,” replied the leonine coach, who went to Germany in the first round to beat E. Frankfurt (3-0). The Germans are playing Marseille today.
Despite you saying that the “responsibility” on the part of tracks, the coach also said Sporting need to find a way to counter the opponent: “Tottenham are a very strong team. They have a coach who is a winner, wins wherever he goes, very strong at transitions and set pieces. Even Lloris. We have our team, we have studied Tottenham, but we are concentrating on our team to increase our capabilities. We like to have the ball, we want to keep that identity, we want to be competitive in every game. The responsibility clearly lies with Tottenham. But we are big in Portugal and we have to play to win. we will do that.”
As? “I think the secret is not to do things differently. Then trust Trincao, Edwards, Pote, Rochinha and Arthur. On the wings it’s different with Matheus Reis or with Nuno Santos. Porro is one of the best attacking fullbacks in Europe.” doing nothing else, looking at Tottenham that doesn’t leave much room. We have a strategy, see if it works. The focus is on doing what we are good at,” he replied.
The fact that Tottenham still haven’t lost this season “doesn’t deter me,” said Amorim. “I think Tottenham are favorites and that takes the responsibility away from us, not as a team but abroad. there is no fear. We grow a lot, we even lose players, we are more mature and better prepared. I’m sure they saw us as the weakest team in the group so to speak and we liked that. We’ve changed the way they look at us a little bit. We want to win, that’s how we play and the goal is to win,” the coach explained.
Happy for the “link between Marcus” [Edwards] and Trincao” have “worked very well”, admits Rúben Amorim that “it is more difficult for Paulinho to take his place”, after returning from injury: “He needs to recover his physical indexes. They are the ones who make life difficult, the three in front have done very well.”
Eric Dier “happy” to see Sporting fight for titles
Eric Dier graduated from the Academy, where he spent ten seasons, before moving to Tottenham. He’s back in Alvalade. “It’s very special for me to be back and I’m happy. It took me a long time to come back and I prefer to play against another team in Portugal. I always follow Sporting. The team is in very good hands. They went through a difficult time and managed to overcome it. They became a strong team with a young and ambitious coach. I’m very happy to see the club in the Champions League and fighting for titles, that’s where the club should always be. I left here a long time ago and the team is completely different,” the central defender confessed.
Eric Dier respects Rúben Amorim’s opinion, but the favoritism attributed by the coach to the tracks “it won’t make any difference because the game will be hard”.
Source: DN
