A 0-3 win sees Sporting CP dominate on the road

Goals from Luis Suárez, Pedro Gonçalves, and Geovany Quenda enabled Sporting CP to take a 0-3 away win against CD Tondela on Liga Portugal Matchday 9. The victory takes them level at the top of the table with FC Porto, who play their fixture on Monday night.

Coach Rui Borges made two changes to the starting lineup that he fielded in the Champions League against Olympique de Marseille: Zeno Debast missed the game through injury and Geovany Quenda was rotated out, with Ousmane Diomande and Geny Catamo coming in.

The match started in a lively fashion, with the first goalscoring opportunity coming in the second minute. Pedro Gonçalves had his shot saved by goalkeeper Bernardo Fontes, who ended up being the best player for the home team during the first half.

After a header off target from Diomande and, at the other end, a similar effort from Cícero Alves that was easily saved by Rui Silva, it was Bernardo Fontes' turn to again intervene: He blocked Geny Catamo's powerful shot with an acrobatic save. Shortly after, Francisco Trincão tried his luck, but could not keep his strike between the posts.

In the 18th minute, the opening goal arrived: Set up by Pedro Gonçalves, Luis Suárez used incredible trickery to dribble past two defenders, before firing a shot in off the post. It was the Colombian striker’s seventh goal in Liga Portugal action this season.

The dominance only intensified, with opportunities becoming increasingly frequent. In the 25th minute, Suárez came close to scoring a second goal after a good pass from Catamo, but Bernardo Fontes made the save. From the ensuing corner, the centre forward headed wide from an excellent position.

Suárez was lurking when a dangerous ball from Catamo was cleared by Christian Marques near the goal line, but couldn’t reach the loose ball, and a long-range shot from Diomande missed the target shortly thereafter.

In the 33rd minute, Sporting CP won the ball back, Trincão passed to Suárez, and he teed up Gonçalves for the finish -only to be denied again by Bernardo Fontes.

The goalkeeper added three more saves in a single move, as Catamo’s effort and two from Suárez were all kept out. Fontes frustrated the Colombian again in the 38th minute, keeping the deficit to a single goal at halftime.

CD Tondela had enjoyed their best chance just before the break, with Pedro Maranhão having a shot that was saved by Rui Silva.

The second half picked up from where the first had left off, with Sporting CP playing well, completely dominating and creating numerous chances.

The opposition goalkeeper continued to shine, and in the early stages saved shots from Maxi Araújo, Geny Catamo and Pedro Gonçalves.

The 58th minute saw more Suárez magic, as he deceived a defender and was only prevented from scoring by Bernardo Fontes.

The second goal arrived just past the hour, when Gonçalves received the ball on the left and took on two defenders before tucking the ball into the back of the net. The stunning goal was his sixth in the league this season.

The increase in the advantage brought more calm to the game. CD Tondela pushed their lines forward, but it was almost always Sporting CP who were the more dangerous side, as seen with Catamo's shot wide in the 62nd minute.

At the other end, Pedro Maranhão slammed a wild shot wide.

With just under 20 minutes remaining, Rui Borges made his first changes, replacing Catamo and Suárez with Geovany Quenda and Fotis Ioannidis. Later, Matheus Reis and Alisson Santos came in for Araújo and Gonçalves.

The final goal came past the 90th minute, and after Bernardo Fontes had denied Francisco Trincão once again. Matheus Reis crossed wide for Quenda, positioned at the far post, to head home to make it 0-3.

Sporting CP have a swift turnaround, as on Tuesday they host FC Alverca in the Taça da Liga quarter finals.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Iván Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo (Matheus Reis, 84'), Morten Hjulmand [C], João Simões (Giorgi Kochorashvili, 90'), Geny Catamo (Geovany Quenda, 73'), Francisco Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves (Alisson Santos, 84') and Luis Suárez (Fotis Ioannidis, 73').

The coach prepares for the game against CD Tondela

Sporting Clube de Portugal visit CD Tondela this Sunday in Liga Portugal, and coach Rui Borges previewed the match in his pre-match press conference.

CD Tondela
"They're playing at home, debuting a new pitch, and playing in front of a full house. They'll be highly motivated to face the reigning league champions. They're a team that like to have the ball, especially given the ideas of their coach [Ivo Vieira], whom I admire a lot. They like to create play, have the ball, and build attacks. In most games they have had more possession than their opponents. They're the team that create the fourth most chances and have the second most missed chances, behind Sporting CP. I watched some CD Tondela games from the first few matchdays, and they created a lot of opportunities. Them having the ‘worst attack in the division’ is deceptive; we have to be alert.”

João Simões
"He's as prepared as any other player. He's responded when the coach thinks he offers the best opportunities for us. He's responded fantastically. He had a somewhat difficult preseason, considering the ability and demands we expected. He's been developing, had his chances, and responded. He's been called up to the squad, and tomorrow we'll see if he'll be a starter. He's a star talent in every sense, and I continue to say he'll be a leader for Sporting CP in the future. I have no doubt about that. He has very unique characteristics and knows what he needs to improve on."

Post-UEFA Champions League matches
"Against Moreirense FC, we had a great game from start to finish, even if we only broke the deadlock near the end. Against SC Braga, we fell short of our expectations. Tomorrow, I believe we'll give a good response. I feel the team are in good shape, motivated, eager to have fun playing, with the responsibility inherent of the game. We know the difficulties, and changing gears is a bit difficult because against the best teams, motivation is always high. We have to connect with them in the same way playing against sides like Olympique de Marseille as we do against CD Tondela.”

Not considering the current form a bad run
"I mentioned it because I was asked. I wasn't the one who mentioned something that, for me, doesn't exist. There was one game in which we were less successful, that's all. Besides, as I said, we're not in seventh place, we're in second, three points off the top. We have six points from three games in the UEFA Champions League, and we progressed in the Taça de Portugal. The only game that's been lacking is the one against SC Braga, where we weren't the team we'd been up until that point for the full 90 minutes."

The short time between matches against CD Tondela and FC Alverca
"We take things one game at a time. I'm only thinking about CD Tondela and fielding the best team. Then, we'll see the best starting XI for the Taça da Liga. We'll certainly make a lot of changes, because it's impossible for most of the players to be fit for both games. I'm calm because it will give opportunities to players who perhaps don't get as many minutes, and need them in order to be better prepared. I'm not worried at all, and I'm solely focused on the CD Tondela game."

Ousmane Diomande
"He played a good 90 minutes in Paços de Ferreira. He's fit, available, and doing better."

Zeno Debast
"He'll be out for the next three games."

The coach reflects on the 2-1 win over Olympique de Marseille

After the 2-1 victory against Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Champions League, Sporting CP coach Rui Borges gave his thoughts on the match in a press conference.

The impact of Geny and Alisson's introductions on the victory
"It speaks volumes about the spirit of this team. I can't say it enough; we have a fabulous group. Quenda wasn't offering much directness in one-on-ones, and we wanted to push Olympique de Marseille back into their own box. We had to have that ability, so we tried bringing Geny in and pushing Maxi out wide. Then with Maxi tiring, we tried with Alisson on the left. We know what that entails. We knew we might have to resort to balls into the box as well, and with Fotis, we gained an extra man in the box.

The difficulties posed by the opponents and the team's response
"I’ll take away the fact that it’s another victory. I’m happy to have six points from three games, to have won against a great team, which really were a ten-man side tonight. They're a very dangerous team on the counterattack, very direct, and in the first half, we left them open three or four times and conceded a goal exactly like the one we conceded in Naples. We've been talking about this all week, but it's part of the team's growth. It has to serve as an example again. We didn't need to expose ourselves to this, but otherwise, the team complied with the tasks we had planned for the game. We still had a good first half, but we grew at the end with a different competitive spirit and doing better in the duels.

The importance of the victory at this stage
"We won a big Champions League game, but we weren't in a bad run of form. We won't always play well, but this team just gave a response. They are ambitious players who have already won a lot, but they still have a huge desire to win, and that's what they want to demonstrate. We want them to challenge themselves more and more, in order to get better."

A possible lack of inspiration
"My opinion is that Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves both had a great game. We didn't have the offensive flow we had against SC Braga. Aside from that, we're the team that produces the most and makes the most mistakes with our finishing -because we're the team that produce the most."

Six points giving more confidence about knockout stage qualification
"We still have many games ahead against great teams. We’ve faced the French league leaders and the Italian champions already, and the team gave a fantastic response."

Zeno Debast going off for Diomande
"I don't know exactly what Debast’s issue was. I still have to ask. Diomande is an important player, with different characteristics than those who played today from the start. I'm happy to see him back playing, and he could have even played from the start, but we were a little cautious."

Unity and harmony within the group
"The team spirit is fantastic and unique. I'm happy to be coaching Sporting CP. I won the title and the cup with this side, and we're in second place now, we're through in the cup, we have six points in the Champions League, and we're trying to qualify for the Taça da Liga Final Four. I'm comfortable with the criticism. I'm well aware of the confidence I have in me and that everyone who works at the Academy conveys to us. Above all, I'm a happy coach."

Catamo and Santos score with second half strikes in the Champions League

Sporting Clube de Portugal defeated French side Olympique de Marseille 2-1 in their third game of the UEFA Champions League season, as substitutes Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos turned the scoreline around in the second half.

The match saw Rui Borges’ men take on one of the form teams in Europe, on a five-game win streak and top of Ligue 1. Sporting CP fielded a lineup with many changes compared to that which was fielded against Paços de Ferreira in the Taça de Portugal, and only Morten Hjulmand, Geovany Quenda, and Pedro Gonçalves remained in the starting XI. Rui Silva, Iván Fresneda, Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, João Simões, Francisco Trincão, and Luis Suárez were all picked for the game.

Sporting CP started with a high press that saw immediate success. Following a stolen ball near the opposition box, Trincão had an opportunity from a free kick that he sent only slightly over.

Marseille’s response came from winger Igor Paixão. He first tried to surprise an alert Rui Silva with a long-range chip, theen fired a powerful shot wide from the left.

On the third attempt, Paixão got his goal. In a quick transition, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang passed the ball to his teammate, who delivered a curling shot into the net to make it 0-1.

At the other end, despite imprecisions in their attacking combinations that hampered their chances of getting into the opposition area, high pressure continued to be Sporting CP's best weapon, leading to another opportunity: A low shot from Gonçalves went into the side-netting.

From a similar move in Marseille’s favour, Mason Greenwood popped up in the box and shot, but Rui Silva saved.

The first half ended with a flourish for Rui Borges's men, as a fantastic individual effort by Suárez was denied by goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli's block.

Before the halftime whistle, a dramatic turn of events revived the spirits of the fans at the Estádio José Alvalade. In the 44th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Olympique de Marseille, but after being called by VAR to review the footage, Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovič not only overturned the penalty but also showed Emerson Palmieri a yellow card for simulation. It was the full-back's second booking, and his sending off reduced Marseille to 10 men.

In the second half, Sporting CP tried various ways to break through the French side. After several aerial balls, it was a solo run by Quenda that brought the most danger, with Rulli scrambling to his post to deny an effort from him, followed shortly after by a misplaced cross-shot from Suárez and another from João Simões.

Borges immediately introduced more offensive options from the bench: Fotis Ioannidis and Geny Catamo came on for Simões and Quenda.

In the 70th minute, a quick combination in attack created space to exploit. Gonçalves passed to Catamo, and the Mozambican – celebrating his 100th appearance for Sporting CP – went through on goal and fired in the equaliser.

To continue the comeback, Alisson Santos was the next to be introduced, in place of Fresneda. He was joined by Ousmane Diomande, this time due to Debast being unfit to continue.

Once again, the change could not have had a better effect: Santos revived Sporting CP's momentum with the first ball he was able to receive inside from the left. The Brazilian picked out a shot and, with the help of a deflection off a defender, had his effort spin into the net on 86 minutes. Sporting CP made it 2-1 with Santos’ second goal in three Champions League games.

Just like the first half, the second half ended with emotions running high and VAR intervening. In a move involving Maxi Araújo and Benjamin Pavard, the referee decided to send off the Uruguayan and only caution the Frenchman, but when called to review the incident, he overturned the red card.

Sporting CP went on to secure the 2-1 win, making it six from a possible six at home in the Champions League. They finished the round in 11th place in the table.

The next European fixture is a visit to Italian side Juventus FC on November 4th, but before that they travel to CD Tondela on Sunday in Liga Portugal, then host FC Alverca in consecutive games in the Taça da Liga and domestic league.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GR], Iván Fresneda (Alisson Santos, 80’), Zeno Debast (Ousmane Diomande, 80’), Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo (Matheus Reis, 90+2’), Morten Hjulmand [C], João Simões (Fotis Ioannidis, 64’), Geovany Quenda (Geny Catamo, 64’), Pedro Gonçalves, Francisco Trincão, Luis Suárez

The striker sets his sights on scoring against Olympique de Marseille

Before the match against Olympique de Marseille,  Sporting CP striker Luis Suárez chatted to the media about the task ahead.

The approach to the game
"We try to focus more on ourselves, on doing things well. We know we're facing a great opponent, in a good run of form, but if we're at our best, we can win."

Having no doubts about what they have to do
"I don't think there are any doubts. We know the work we're doing. During the season, there are victories, draws, and defeats, but there are no doubts. We know what we have to do."

Memories of his time at Olympique de Marseille
“It was special because I get to play in the Champions League. It was something that I had in my mind. It was hard to get back to playing in these kinds of games, and being here is wonderful. That's why it's special. I played for Marseille, but that’s it. Still, I always look on the bright side. It was a new country, a new league, and I debuted in the Champions League there. I played little, scored a few goals, but I think I wasn't mentally ready for that club, football-wise. I also think they didn't show me much patience, but I’m not looking for excuses.”

The happiness he has found at Sporting CP
“I'm in the best time of my career and my life. There are still some things missing, but I work towards that every day. I came to Sporting CP to be happy, and I have been so since the beginning. My family is loving it here, and on a personal level, it's a moment of fulfillment.”

Comparisons with Gyökeres
"It's an inevitable comparison, especially considering what he did here. I'm taking it in the best possible way. It's a beautiful challenge that requires a lot of personality, after a second title, a double... I think I'm mentally prepared for this and I'm enjoying it."

The opponents
"They're a team with great players, they've reinforced very well, but it's just another game. We'll give it our all, and I believe it will be a great game for the spectators."

The coach previews the Champions League game

The UEFA Champions League returns to the Estádio José Alvalade on Wednesday, as Sporting Clube de Portugal host French side Olympique de Marseille on Matchday 3. On the eve of the European clash, coach Rui Borges held a pre-match press conference.

Olympique de Marseille's good form
"It has to motivate us somehow. If we want to be in this competition and face the best, so we have to face them at their best, regardless of the difficulties they will certainly cause us. We respect them for the quality of their coach, whom I'm learning from and watching to adapt our approach, and for their good players. They're in good form, they're top of the French league, with the most goals scored and the fewest conceded, and they have the highest percentage of passes completed. You can clearly see the quality in that side. They're a team that like to have the ball, but in the right moments they're very direct, fast, and have a great ability to score."

Sporting CP's current situation
"Honestly, I don't quite understand why people are talking about a bad run... We had a bad game against SC Braga and a bad half against GD Estoril Praia, but before that, they were talking about our quality of play and attacking ability. We're in second place in Liga Portugal, three points off the top spot, and we went through in the Taça de Portugal. The team understand what they have to do and that's been evident since the beginning of the season, even when we lost the Supertaça or lost to FC Porto at home. Our dynamic and individual and collective team quality are quite evident. This ‘bad run’ doesn’t exist. At the end of the game against Paços de Ferreira, I felt enormous affection from our fans. The cup games are the ones that stress me out the most."

His approach to the match Against OM
"The choices have to do with the game strategy, and as the game progresses, we'll understand the impact of having played extra time in the previous match. Despite everything, because it's the Champions League, I think the team will be more 'switched on.’ That's natural. Squad management will have to be based on how the game unfolds."

The importance of home advantage in the Champions League
“I believe it’s there, in part, but in these games there are no favourites. Of course, in the end, we look at home games, where we have that extra boost from our fans. Every game has its own story, and we go out there to win, whether home or away, knowing we'll face great teams.”

Morten Hjulmand
“He's our leader and our captain. He's not always at his best, but he's always a very important player for our team. He is demanding of his teammates and himself.”

Whether to expect an OM similar to Farioli's FC Porto
“No, they will be different. I think De Zerbi is an inspiration to everyone. You can see that FC Porto have traits from De Zerbi, but I think OM have more variability in their play and a different way of controlling possession. I think it will be a very different game from that against FC Porto.”

The squad train in preparation for Olympique de Marseille

Sporting Clube de Portugal held a training session this Monday morning in preparation for their match against French side Olympique de Marseille, scheduled for 8pm this Wednesday at the Estádio José Alvalade. The fixture is the team's fourth in the UEFA Champions League.

The squad will train again this Tuesday at 10:30am with the first 15 minutes open to the media.

Later, at 7pm, coach Rui Borges and a player will hold a pre-match press conference, at the Artur Agostinho Auditorium.

The coach reviews the win over Paços de Ferreira

After Sporting Clube de Portugal secured their place in the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal, Rui Borges reflected on his side's showing in the game.

The importance of progressing to the Fourth Round
"It's incredibly important because it was a goal of ours. Regarding the match itself, we knew we'd face challenges in this one. There are no easy games. Cup games have their own character, but we had a tremendous flow in attack and missed some opportunities to score. Sometimes that was through our own fault, other times through the opponent's merit. On the two occasions when FC Paços de Ferreira created chances, they managed to convert them.

Sporting CP put in a huge effort. In the first half, we only created chances from one-on-ones, but in the second half we improved with the substitutions: Iván [Fresneda] came on and was very dynamic, and Zeno [Debast] gives us a different edge in the build-up play. Geny [Catamo] also gave us more pace. We were always capable of creating chances, but, thanks to the way the FC Paços de Ferreira coach set them up, they managed to take us into extra time. We knew that if we kept going, we would eventually score, and fortunately, we did."

The fatigue caused by extra time
"It can't be used as an excuse. I'm not going to dwell on it. We didn't want to [play] those 30 minutes because it meant a lot of wear and tear for us. We tried to turn the game around in the 90 minutes, which is why we turned to Geny and Luis [Suárez], even though they were still tired from international duty, because they're players who can change things quickly.

The game on Wednesday against Olympique de Marseille
The team will be motivated; it's a UEFA Champions League game at home, in front of our fans —who were once again very important in supporting the team away from home today, and it will be the same on Wednesday. The team will give a good response."

Alisson's first start
"We know very well what Alisson brings to the table. Today we faced a team in a very low block, and he gives us one-on-one opportunities. I'm happy with the excellent performance he had. He's growing, figuring out how to get more minutes, and it's a credit to him that he got this chance. He'll get more minutes from now on, because he understands the demands of Sporting CP. He showed that today."

Ousmane Diomande
"He had a cramp and fatigue, nothing more than that. You can see he's not at his best yet, but he held out until he reached his limit. Now it's time to rest and prepare for the match against Olympique de Marseille."

A 2-3 win over FC Paços de Ferreira takes the team into the next round

Sporting Clube de Portugal defeated FC Paços de Ferreira 2-3 at the Estádio Capital do Móvel, to advance in the Taça de Portugal. The reigning cup holders were given a stern test in the opening game of their defence of the crown, but managed to claim the victory.

Making five changes to his starting XI from the match against SC Braga, Rui Borges brought in João Virgínia, Ousmane Diomande (appearing or the first time since August 8th), Eduardo Quaresma, Alisson Santos, and Fotis Ioannidis.

The home team created danger early on, and after just two minutes a powerful shot wide from João Caiado from the edge of the box gave Sporting CP a first warning. Relying on physicality and quick transitions, FC Paços de Ferreira showed considerable initiative in the opening moments, and in the sixth minute it was Anilson's turn to aim for goal off a direct free kick. João Virgínia was alert to make a straightforward catch.

Sporting CP's first dangerous chance also came from a set piece, with a venomous Geovany Quenda delivery coming in the ninth minute. His ball in was not quite connected with by Fotis Ioannidis.

Quenda took centre stage for a spell, and a minute later he won a corner for his side. Sporting CP grew into the game and pushed a determined FC Paços de Ferreira back, and in the 11th minute Alisson Santos shot wide. Soon after, Ricardo Mangas looked for goal, following a pass from Ioannidis, but the winger's shot was deflected by Rafael Vieira.

Three minutes later, the Paços de Ferreira defender was once again instrumental, preventing Alisson Santos' shot from the middle of the box from finding its way in.

However, it was the hosts who opened the scoring. In the 18th minute, Rafael Vieira won a tussle in midfield and passed to João Victor, who exchanged passes with Ronaldo Lumungo. The striker found himself in a one-on-one with João Virgínia and fired home to make it 1-0.

Sporting CP reacted well and remained in the opposition half. In the 21st minute, Pedro Gonçalves took advantage of a defensive error by the home team to shoot on goal, but was unable to finish.

In the 22nd minute, Gonçalves made good on his threat with the equaliser. Off a move where his teammates were initially appealing for a penalty for a foul on Ioannidis, the ball fell to the left foot of the Portuguese international, who converted for his sixth goal of the season -tying his tally from the last campaign.

In complete control, all that was preventing Sporting CP from pulling ahead was wasted opportunities: Gonçalves again shot from the edge of the box in the 30th minute, and two minutes later, Alisson Santos also tried his luck.

The home side only threatened again in the 33rd minute, with Costinha getting in behind the defenders to find himself in a dangerous position, although his shot hit Ousmane Diomande.

Chances for Ioannidis and Quenda before the break were saved and went wide, respectively, and despite their dominance the team couldn't translate their 76% possession into further goals

With an unchanged lineup and a layer of fog beginning to descend on the ground, Sporting CP came out sharp in the second half. Less than a minute after the restart, they enjoyed two good chances: First, Ioannidis broke quickly into the centre but couldn't finish off; then, Alisson Santos cut in from the left and shot across goal.

Once again against the run of play,the effective FC Paços de Ferreira took the lead again in the 49th minute. This time, Ronaldo Lumungo arushed in from the right and passed to João Victor, who made it 2-1.

In the 55th minute, Alisson Santos worked his way inside, but his shot did not go in the desired direction.

Francisco Trincão and Iván Fresneda were brought on just before the hour, and this was swiftly followed by an equaliser: Quenda took a precise corner kick, which Fotis Ioannidis headed into the net

In the 73rd minute, Geny Catamo and Zeno Debast were the next players introduced, followed by Luis Suárez five minutes later.

FC Paços de Ferreira withstood the pressure and competently closed down the spaces, and were able to force extra time.

A fatigued Ousmane Diomande was replaced by Matheus Reis for the additional 30 minutes. Just as during regulation time, Sporting CP controlled the game. Gonçalves took a shot in the 91st minute that went off target, then eight minutes later forced the home goalkeeper into a huge save, denying him his brace. That came after a penalty appeal for Sporting CP for handball that had been waved off.

The decisive third goal finally arrived in the 104th minute. Geny Catamo and Iván Fresneda combined well on the right, and the Spaniard crossed into the box, where defender Tiago Ferreira deflected it into his own net.

The second half of extra time was less dramatic, but still lively: in the 107th minute, Miguel Mota burst down the right and shot straight at João Virgínia; in the 111th, he tried again from outside the box, but struck over the bar.

In the 114th minute, Geny Catamo had the final chance, testing Jeimes. There would be no change in the scoreline, and Sporting CP earned their spot in the next round of the Taça de Portugal.

Sporting CP: João Virgínia [GK], Hidemasa Morita (Francisco Trincão, 58'), Geovany Quenda, Pedro Gonçalves, Georgios Vagiannidis (Iván Fresneda, 58'), Ousmane Diomande (Matheus Reis, 90'), Alisson Santos (Luis Suárez, 79'), Morten Hjulmand [C], Eduardo Quaresma (Zeno Debast, 73'), Fotis Ioannidis, and Ricardo Mangas (Geny Catamo, 73').

The coach speaks ahead of the Taça de Portugal campaign

Sporting Clube de Portugal return to action this Saturday, against FC Paços de Ferreira in their first match in the Taça de Portugal. Rui Borges spoke ahead of the game in a press conference.

The mentality for the match Against FC Paços Ferreira
"It’s about two things: Tactics means studying the opposition, who have been to a Taça de Portugal final and two semifinals. They’ve already played in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round this season. Therefore, the greatest respect we can have for them is to look at them seriously, both in terms of their talent and tactically. In terms of mentality, it's about understanding that we're going to be defending the cup. We really want to be in this season’s final at Jamor, which means a lot to all of us, and which lifted us last season. The greatest motivation we can have is to defend something that's ours, something we achieved with great effort and dedication. We have to put that into practice again to reach another Taça de Portugal final, which is our greatest desire."

Maximum demands
"We want to win and we want to get better. We've shown that we were the best. We've had a very productive start to the season in that sense, demonstrating the team's individual and collective quality. In a less successful game, we were hurt because we couldn't be the Sporting CP we've been up to now, and that affected us. It's about the maximum demands we place on ourselves in our daily work. The players must be hurt when we aren’t able to be the Sporting CP we want to be -and that we've managed to be most of the time."

Sporting CP creating the most chances
"The formation is very subjective. The vast majority of players play in their usual positions. We have had Pote, Trincão, Hjumand, Inácio, and Quenda all in great form. Sporting CP have never produced so much offensively. We’re the team that create the most chances, and also wastes the most; but in order to waste chances, you first have to create them. We allow the second fewest chances to our opponents. If we look at the numbers, it's not even about the system. It’s down to the dynamics. The game against SC Braga and the second half against GD Estoril Praia weren't about the formation; it was about our own incompetence -including my own as coach, because I'll always be the most responsible, and I'll always be the one to stand up for the players. Perhaps I wasn't able to explain that in the best way possible. SC Baga, who didn't pose much of a threat to us, had possession and put too many players in the first stage of their build-up, so it was difficult to time the pressure. We ran too much, but at times we did so poorly. It has a lot to do with that, not the formation, because the players being at their best statistically speaks for itself."

Motivation surrounding the cup
"I'm focused on what we can do in the Taça de Portugal. The buzz is immense, constantly, about Sporting CP and everything else. It's a sign that we're winners and that in the past, we've won a lot. My focus is on the Taça de Portugal match, but to enjoy it, we have to start this campaign tomorrow in a 'fight,' so to speak, to defend what we won last season. It's something that brings back many memories for me personally, too, because it's something that has had a profound impact on me and something I've always wanted, ever since I started playing football. I came from the bottom level and I fully understand what the Taça de Portugal means. For me, the memories are immense, such as having my parents and my whole family in the stands."

Pedro Gonçalves' renewal
"Pote's renewal is related to the club's confidence in him. It also increases his responsibility, as he has been a very important player in Sporting CP's achievements in recent years. It conveys the enormous confidence in him; he's very focused on winning more, on aiming higher, wanting to help. He’s someone who missed many months of playing time last season and wants to get back to his best form. He is becoming an important player again, and wants to feel like an important player. Our biggest 'fight' is to motivate him every day, because he's someone who has already won a lot and done everything at Sporting CP. The renewal also gives him that motivation, with the confidence we all have in the importance he has for the team and at the club."

Being prepared for FC Paços de Ferreira
"Sporting CP have to be prepared. The players have been coming back from international duty gradually, and we have to be careful about giving too many minutes to some players, but we're prepared. Our biggest motivation is to enter a competition where we'll defend something that's ours and that we want to continue to be ours. That's why that's our biggest motivation, regardless of the opposition. They will be incredibly motivated to face the league champions and cup holders in front of their fans. But I also believe we'll be supported by many Sporting CP fans, who will make us feel like we’re at home again -which is what's been happening in away games and I have no doubt will happen tomorrow as well.”

Last year’s win
"Sporting CP won the cup because we were the better side. It’s as simple as that, and we deserved it. It's there in the club museum, it's ours, 101%on merit, for everything the players were capable of throughout the campaign, all the setbacks we faced, for being focused and ambitious and at the last minute turning the tie around. Of course, I talk to the players, but the players never asked me to change any structure. They didn't ask. It was simply because I didn't have any midfielders, and in a 4-3-3 I needed three midfielders. I didn't even have one, let alone three. I had to adapt to what we had, and I had to make the most of Zeno [Debast] as a midfielder. Suddenly, he became a luxury midfielder. Sometimes people ask me why he doesn't play in midfield. He's an extraordinary player in both positions [centre back and midfield]. It's just a matter of circumstance. What makes me proud is that we won trophies despite many difficulties, with many young players playing from game to game. We played without Morten [Hjulmand], without Viktor [Gyokeres], without Geny, without Pote for months. We were champions with Pote playing at 50 percent in the final games. When I arrived, there were countless injuries, which led me to adapt to what we had and look for solutions, because we didn't have any for this formation, let alone for mine.”

Alisson growing and Dimoande better prepared
"I'll start with Alisson. Opportunity isn't about the World Cup being in Portugal, but about his current situation and his growth. He's shown this growth, he's been listening, he's better understanding the pressure he's under. He's been growing and has been important in the moments he's been playing. He’s been fighting for more opportunities, for more minutes, and that doesn't mean it's just because it's the World Cup coming up. He's been fighting for that. The opportunity has to do with his growth, not the competition itself. He's a kid who's been growing a lot, and we believe he'll be a very important player in the future and that he'll have a very bright future -also due to his individual qualities.

Diomande is better prepared for the game tomorrow. It was important that he didn't go away with the national team because we need to give him that boost. He's more capable of responding, more capable of being a starter, which hasn't happened in recent games because he didn't have that ability yet. He's an important player, with everything he gives us physically, and he stands out in that duel-based approach, in his physical competitiveness. He's an important player, and fortunately, we have him back."

Players unavailable
"Nuno [Santos] and Dani [Bragança] are recovering. Gonçalo Inácio came back with a slight knock, nothing major. These are the two absences we have, unfortunately. These are the two players [Nuno Santos and Daniel Bragança] who have been injured for the longest time. I really want them back. They are two players who have to serve as an example for all of us -not only for their teammates, but for us coaches, the entire structure, because they are very resilient in terms of what their careers have been like. Despite serious injuries, they are a true example of what it means to have the ambition to return, to help, and to want to win."