Jorge Jesus guarantees his side are ready for Real Madrid

Showing respect, but not fear. That was the challenge set out by Jorge Jesus in his Champions League pre-match press conference this Tuesday, ahead of a daunting visit to the reigning European champions.

“We have been drawn against the European champion for our first game, but that won't change how we play. We will respect Real Madrid like we do every team. We believe in the way we play and in what the team is capable of. We are ready for a hard game and we will also create our own problems for Real Madrid", affirmed the Sporting coach, before adding the inevitable word on Cristiano Ronaldo: "Cristiano is loved in Portugal, particularly by Sporting's fans. It was at the club that he grew up as a player and a person. We will have to pay attention to him, just like every other player. We don't have any special defensive focus on Ronaldo and we will play the way we always do, like we did against Moreirense."

To finish, Jorge Jesus thanked Zinedine Zidane for his complements, but did not pull his punches when it came to the match itself: "We know who we will be facing and we will show respect, but not fear. This is the strongest Real Madrid of the last few years, a lot stronger than before Zidane came in."