The coach previews the game against Gil Vicente FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal will travel to Barcelos, this Saturday (8:30pm local time), to face Gil Vicente FC on Liga Portugal Matchday 15. Rúben Amorim, the team's coach, predicted “a very difficult game against a team that are in great shape” and occupy a comfortable eighth place.

“Gil Vicente FC are a very well-organised team and we are also in good form. It will be a fun game. They have very strong ideas, and last season they adapted to us with a line of five at the back. I think that this time they will not do that, and they will defend in another way. They are a team without responsibilities and without the pressure of getting points,” he said, before adding: “It will be one of the toughest games of the season so far."

“We are prepared, we know how the opponent play. The three front players are very strong, [Kanya] Fujimoto is in great form and is an important attacking midfielder in their team. I foresee a difficult game, but we want to win to maintain our position in the table,” he said, revealing that he had called the group's attention to what happened to them against Penafiel FC.

“We lowered the intensity a bit and had problems with a second division team. Given the quality and speed of Gil Vicente FC up front, if we don't control how we bring play forward well and lose the ball easily, they will create a lot of problems for us. We have to be very intense, and we have worked on that this week. We are clearly prepared and we have a responsibility to win, but the opposition will be very difficult to beat."
 
Amorim also confirmed that Gonçalo Esteves, the 17-year-old full-back who had a good showing in the last game and has made four appearances for the first team, will start tomorrow.

“He is prepared, has recovered well and had three days between games. He has a lot of desire and many teammates who help him out. He will be our option for the right side and it's not a risk, but rather an opportunity for him. When he makes any mistake, the centre back will be there to help him. He hasn't put a foot wrong and has a lot of talent, and he can become a decisive player in offensive and defensive terms,” he explained.
 
In closing, he revealed that Paulinho "should be given the all-clear tomorrow and will play," after having recovered from a COVID-19 infection. “Having not had any symptoms, he won't have lost fitness in just a few days. We gave him everything to train at home. Paulinho has been working with me for a long time, he knows his teammates with his eyes closed and the team's routines give him security. He's a very mature player, he's in good form and we're going to take advantage of that. If he's in good physical shape, I can use him," he concluded.