The coach reacts to the 1-3 win over BSC Young Boys

After the 1-3 home win against Swiss side BSC Young Boys, which put Sporting Clube de Portugal in a positive position in the playoff to reach the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, coach Rúben Amorim expressed his happiness with the performance of his players, only regretting the fact that the team did not score more goals.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, with a lot of duels and against players strong in one-on-ones close to the area. We started very well, but we always missed the final pass and that is something we have to improve. Antonio [Adán] kept us in it with two great saves and there were a lot of transitions in the first half. We scored the first goal and then the second, but we can't concede to make it 1-2 on the very next move,” the coach began by saying at his press conference.

“We rectified some things at halftime, but what helped a lot was the third goal, because it broke BSC Young Boys down a little, gave us confidence and then we managed the scoreline until the end. We could and should have scored more goals, especially in the second half, as the tie is only halfway through and is very dangerous. The opposition had their chances, but they will be even more courageous in Alvalade to try to turn things around. We have to be prepared for that.”

The coach was then asked why he substituted Viktor Gyökeres in the 73rd minute, in a game in which the Swede was constantly found by his teammates and made numerous runs.

“I wasn't worried at all about his physical capacity, especially because he tracks back slower than the others and we balance that as a team. He came off to manage the game, and in the last 15 minutes there was going to be even more space. The way he looked at his number in amazement [at the time of his departure] is not the look of a player who is tired. Obviously he is very hungry and wants to score a lot of goals, but he will have a lot of games to do that.”

With this result, Sporting CP now have 11 victories in the last 12 games, in addition to 19 goals scored and only one conceded in their last four. But Amorim does not want to relax, and is focusing on Monday's game with Moreirense FC.

“As we won, we will go to  Moreira de Cónegos happy and all the players will feel important because they know they can play. This helps us to prepare for the next game, but now we have to study Moreirense FC and we will be prepared. We know we can't drop points in the league and sometimes the mind is more important than the body. As for the 19 goals scored and one conceded, these are numbers that can change from one moment to the next, as we can lose confidence by dropping points, so we want to maintain this winning streak. This game only helped us confirm that we are on the right path,” highlighted the coach.

In closing, Amorim also made a point of praising the enormous support of the thousands of Sportinguistas who were at the Wankdorf Stadium.

“We started hearing them from when we were at the hotel, it wasn’t even during the warmup. The players are confident and believe in what we are doing, but they also know that there is a way to go and we need their help. We are still only halfway through the tie,” he concluded.

The team move closer to the Round of 16 with a 1-3 first leg win over BSC Young Boys

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Swiss side BSC Young Boys 1-3 in the first leg of the play-off for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. The result gives a precious advantage for the second leg, which will be played in one week's time at the Estádio José Alvalade.

At the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, the first ever meeting between these two teams saw an own goal by Amenda, plus strikes from Viktor Gyökeres and Gonçalo Inácio.

Paulinho missed the game through injury, whilst Sebastián Coates stayed in Lisbon as a precaution due to the risk involved with synthetic playing surface. Coach Rúben Amorim made four changes to the first XI by bringing in Matheus Reis, Ricardo Esgaio, Daniel Bragança and Edwards. Rafael Nel, an 18-year-old striker from the B team made his maiden appearance in the squad.

Sporting CP started out with constant attacks in the final third, and came very close to scoring in the opening moments. Gyökeres went forward on the run, played a one-two with Pedro Gonçalves and saw his shot bounce off the goalkeeper's face. In response, from a corner, BSC Young Boys also gave a scare to Antonio Adán.

The opening half hour was almost exclusively a Sporting CP show, as the always had more of the ball and were sharper in attack. Gyökeres created two more excellent opportunities without success, as in the first he shot into the side netting and then the opposition goalkeeper safely stopped his effort.

However, with 31 minutes gone, they finally got the much sought after goal. In a move from the right, Edwards crossed into the area and defender Amenda appeared at the near post, deflecting the ball into his own net and putting Sporting CP 0-1 up.

From there the champions and current leaders of the Swiss league attempted to react, but it would only last for a short time: In the 39th minute, Edwards was again decisive when he was brought down in the area, which resulted in a penalty. From the 11-metre mark Gyökeres increased the lead to 0-2 and scored his 28th goal of the season.

Despite this, practically from the next move, BSC Young Boys closed the gap again, as Filip Ugrinic found the net just before halftime.

After the break, there was an almost immediate goal, this time for Sporting CP. In the 48th minute, Gonçalves sent a free kick into the area with precision, and Gonçalo Inácio, with the central defender rising high and heading in to make it 1-3.

They never took their foot off the accelerator, continued to insist on the attack and came very close to scoring the fourth goal shortly after. Following another great run by Gyökeres on the left, the Swedish forward entered the penalty area and set up Gonçalves who, unluckily, struck against the post.

The last 15 minutes were played at a slower pace, with BSC Young Boys having more of the ball for the first time, but failed to give Adán much cause for concern -despite having a goal disallowed.

Amorim gave debuts in the competition for winter signing Koba Koindredi and also youngster Nel.

Before the end, Mohamad Ali Camara was sent off for the home team and the intensity faded for both sides. A 1-3 lead gives a healthy advantage to Sporting CP, who will play next Thursday in the second leg with a place in the next round up for grabs. Before that, they play in Liga Portugal this coming Monday, against Moreirense FC on the road.

The midfielder speaks before the UEFA Europa League playoff

Morten Hjulmand talked to the press before the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off for the Round of 16, which takes place in Switzerland against BSC Young Boys.

The midfielder acknowledged that the victory against SC Braga in Liga Portugal at the weekend gave even more morale to the team, but he also assured that this is a feeling that has been around since the beginning of this season.

"The team are very confident at the moment, but it has been like that since I arrived. Sporting CP are a great club and we want to demonstrate this in every game we play, but of course when we score a lot of goals that gives us even more confidence", the Danish international began by saying.

The 24-year-old was then asked whether he sees himself as one of the squad's captains - despite not officially being one -, due to the leadership he has demonstrated on the pitch and off it, but he preferred to highlight the fact that several players on the team have this capacity.

"I feel like myself and I don’t think I need to change that. Still, I see many captains in the group and many players with strong personalities who are ready to lead. It’s something you see on the pitch, but I also feel it in the dressing room and when we travel together".

In closing, Hjulmand refused to reveal whether he will be one of the starters in the game, in what is his first season playing in the UEFA Europa League. "The manager will be able to respond to that question".