The coach talks before the away trip to play Boavista FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal play this Sunday at 8:30 pm, in an away fixture against Boavista FC in Liga Portugal.
Ahead of the match, Rui Borges spoke about what he expects from a game at a ground known for its atmosphere.

Boavista FC
“Boavista FC are looking to stay in the top flight, so they will give it their all at home, in front of their fans, and Bessa is also renowned for its atmosphere. They are a very competitive team, who brought in 12 new players in the winter transfer window, some of whom are big names in Europe. They are coming into the game in high spirits after a win away, in which they were the better side, against SC Farense, and will try their best to take points from Sporting CP. We have to understand that it will be a tough game, very competitive, and so we have to start strong, as we have been doing, so that Boavista FC can feel that we want to win. That is what we want to do to continue on course until the end of the season.”

Boavista FC 'parking the bus' to stop Viktor Gyökeres
“Viktor is immune to that. He is a competitive animal regardless of the opponent. He is very focused on the team, on what he has to do for the team. Also, the team are focused on what they have to do to enhance his value. We expect a competitive Boavista FC, which is how they have performed at home, regardless of what the coach said about parking the bus. That's normal; they are in survival mode, it is difficult to stay up, they have little margin for error and they will cling on in their attempt to get points. We have to be focused on the strategy and on what we can achieve in the future. We only have one game from their new coach to analyse, which makes everything more difficult, but we are very focused on what we have to do and we have to be able to overcome teams who use a low block."

The expected 12,000 Sporting CP fans at Bessa
“It’s something we’ve gotten used to since we arrived. They always make us feel like we’re playing at home, even though we’re away from Alvalade. Their support has been incredible, I’ve said that before, and it’s growing more and more. It’s natural, and we as a team always try to give something extra. The fans are behind us, they believe in us and I’m happy that this can happen. It’s another motivational factor for the team.”

Ousmane Diomande and Matheus Reis being at risk of suspension
“They are not injured, so I don’t need to do any management with them. We have the squad to respond with those who are available. If they have to play, then they will play. If they don’t have to play, then they won’t play. It’s that simple.”

Hidemasa Morita
“He is called up for the game”.

Pedro Gonçalves
“He had more minutes in the last game and I really believe in him, regardless of how much he plays. He will be very important for the team in this final stretch, whether he plays 45 or 90 minutes. We have to understand his physical condition and his confidence. He’s coming off a long time out, he needs confidence and we have to understand his day-to-day routine. I’m not worried about what might happen next, but I’m concerned about tomorrow’s game.”

The title fight and the Taça de Portugal
“When you’re at a big club, you want to be in finals. The mini-objective has been achieved, which was to fight for the title and to be in the finals. We weren’t lucky in the Taça da Liga and we’re in the final of the Taça de Portugal. We have to be competent, to be better than the others -in this case SL Benfica. We just have to work hard and do everything we can to win trophies, which is what we dream of doing. I think that over time the team have grown, and the energy is very evident on and off the pitch every day.

Words of praise from Frederico Varandas
“The president’s speech was motivational for the group and in line with my argument, that the team have made an incredible journey through everything, and that we shouldn’t play the victim. We are alive on all fronts, which is what this club want. The speech went down well with everyone and I already knew he was going to do this. The president is at training every day, he communicates a lot with us and we talk a lot about our focus for the rest of the season. We have to be able to win the trophies, and that is our daily focus."