The coach talks after the draw with FC Arouca

Rui Borges expressed his disappointment with the 2-2 draw against FC Arouca in his post-match press conference following the Liga Portugal game.

“It was a very unfortunate game in every way: The own goal, the injuries, the penalty, the sending off... Many situations happened that changed the course of the game. We were trying to fight against them, so it is worth appreciating what the players did, even with ten men, in a game that could have gone either way," the coach began by saying, adding: "It was a difficult game, where everything happened to us, but we have to be able to deal with these things. We remain in first place, so we have to take that away, think game by game and do everything we can to stay first.”

“Today, I highlight the positive contribution from the group. Especially after the sending off. That's why the team ended up exhausted. I think that for everything they did, they deserved to have come out of this game with the three points."

“I’m still very motivated and confident. The belief is there. Like I said, we're still first, that's what we want and we have to hold on to that. The fans hae been important and they were important today, especially when we were left with ten men, and they were giving us that energy to make us believe that we were capable of turning the game around. Only together will we be able to overcome all these circumstances that happened to us," continued Borges.

He also spoke about the injuries to Daniel Bragança and Jeremiah St. Juste, saying that the midfielder's “could be something more delicate” and that the defender's is “more of a muscular problem”. Both will be absent for next week's European game.

"We will fight in that match. We will have to take some precautions, but we will not throw away the game. We will try to come up with strategies and ways to win, because we want to win the game, regardless of who plays.”