The coach gave his opinion on the fixture against CD Santa Clara

Sporting Clube de Portugal travels to Ponta Delgada in the Azores this Saturday, for a 3:30pm kickoff in Liga Portugal against  CD Santa Clara.

Before the Matchday 9 game, coach Rúben Amorim assured supporters that the defeat in midweek away to Olympique Marseille in the UEFA Champions League group stage did not affect the team's preparation for domestic action.

"The atmosphere isn't the best after a defeat, but the players are prepared. They realised what happened in the last game, which was atypical, despite it having already happened this season. It is our responsibility and we know that, but we are prepared for CD Santa Clara, because we have to win and climb the table," he said in his pre-match press conference.

"In the same way that some victories don't change the situation, because we always have to win, a defeat doesn't take away our focus either. The preparation was normal, because the level of demand is at a maximum and the objective is always to win."

After revealing that, of the group of players who were unavailable in the last match, only Sebastián Coates is back in the squad, the coach also stated that Antonio Adán will continue in the starting XI and reiterated his confidence in the goalkeeper. networks.

“I do my evaluation at the beginning and end of the week to establish the best eleven players to start the game. Adán continues to have complete confidence; 22 minutes do not erase 92 games and four trophies. Although he, like the other players, has to prove himself all the time, he continued to do his preparation. He didn't have such a good day against Marseille, but he continues, in my opinion, to be the best-prepared goalkeeper to start the game. This game is much more important than the next game against Olympique Marseille, which he will miss through suspension."

CD Santa Clara managed to beat Os Leões at the Estádio São Miguel last season, but Amorim is confident of a win this Saturday.

"We want to win and feel the sensation of putting together victory after victory. Last year we lost, and it was one of the few defeats we had, but that doesn't change anything. We don't have any demons to put to bed and we just want to win the game. We are not at our best. We know that we can win or lose against any team, but we have a lot of desire to win and that is what we will try to do," he stressed.