FC Porto will visit Benfica in the title derby and Sérgio Conceição has a positive balance in derbies… “Confidence does not come from the last results against this team. We do. No, we work to gain confidence. Benfica is like taking on any other opponent that we have already encountered this season and that we will continue to encounter in our sporting life,” said the Porto coach on Thursday ahead of the classic of the 27th round of the I Liga (18.00 BTV ).
When asked if any of the players who were unavailable will recover in time for Luz’s visit, the coach went around until he replied who counts and who is out: “It’s down to the last. Diogo Costa looks much better for me and so does Pepe. Evanilson is not sure, we have to wait a few hours. João Mário with some effort, Zaidu seems a little better. Pepe and Diogo Costa, I think they will be 100% ready to play.”
And did you do tactical training with the team you had in mind for tomorrow’s game? “I don’t need them to be at their peak physically to train in some situations, but of course I wanted everyone to be available and that, the injured, had the competitive pace of others. We can count on Pepe tomorrow, but Pepe hasn’t competed for a month and that can make all the difference. I trust everyone who works here, the people who make the transition from end-stage injury to joining the team, but the game is the game and it’s different from training. We will not be at the maximum, but I say again that I have never used that as an excuse and I will not do it today, even though I know that as we get closer to the end, the games take on a different dimension.” , he replied, saying that “the part of the injuries” and he as a coach has to deal with this situation: “The beauty of the game is winning. I’m very pragmatic about it. I use who I have at my disposal.”
Coaches don’t like to define this kind of game as decisive, but this is really for FC Porto to stay in the fight for the title… “The matches are all decisive and gain that power from the moment there are seven to go after this one. If we win at Luz and lose the next match, it will be difficult. I always say these are six point games. We can leave Estádio da Luz with thirteen or seven less than Benfica, or with the same difference. What we want is to win the game and add three important points, not let the opponent add,” Conceição summarizes, avoiding to catalog the encounter: “It is said that the championship is won against the greats, but I disagree. This year we encountered not great teams”.
“It’s an important game, it’s a classic. It’s where the two teams that have won the most titles in recent years face each other. Emotionally… We prepare all games in the same way. Of course the atmosphere, and what happens around a game of this size it’s different and games feel that But when the referee blows the whistle we forget everything around us In fact one of the things I always say is there are a lot of players, and I would like many of them to play with earplugs in. Just to focus on what they have to do during the game. It is true that we are at a distance that we are not used to, and we know the game ahead. We didn’t even mention the scenario of not winning the game, does not enter our preparation or our head. In our preparation at all levels, including emotionally, there is one word: victory. And it was not a single reference to the eagle… (laughs)”, the coach of the national champion shot.
Afterwards, Sérgio Conceição confessed that he would like to talk “more about football” in the games preview conferences, explaining that he does not delve into some topics because he is “as sincere as possible” and risks a title that is not reflects what he says: “What could provoke Rafa or Neres to play inside… That’s what talking about football is about. bluff, but it’s not. Evanilson, we really don’t know. Zaidu, we don’t know. I don’t know if I’m making myself understood. I won’t go into too much detail about other questions…”.
Source: DN
