Sporting boss still believes in European glory: we can go there and win | OneFootball

Micael Sequeira, coach of Sporting’s women’s team, expressed confidence in his players’ performance against Hammarby and, despite the defeat (1-0), stated that the Lionesses will go to Sweden for the second leg of the quarter-finals with the goal of advancing to the next round of the European Cup.

M. Sequeira: " It’s about believing. Just as Hammarby won here, we can win there. We have to be efficient, score a goal, and get back into the tie. We have to believe, prepare well for the match, and give it our all next week," he said in statements to Sport TV.

The 52-year-old manager regretted the missed opportunity by Flor Bonsegundo in the first half. "I think it was a very balanced game. We ended up having the best chance of the first half with Flor’s shot, which unfortunately didn’t go in, and when we tried to freshen up the team by bringing on Brittany Raphino and Brenda Pérez, we ended up conceding on the counterattack," he confessed.

For Micael Sequeira, the tie is far from over. "Everything is still open and next week we have another opportunity to win", he said. With this defeat – the fourth in 24 games this season – the Lionesses go into the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup quarter-finals at a disadvantage, a competition equivalent to the Europa League.

The decisive match, however, is just around the corner. Sporting will face Hammarby again next Wednesday, February 18. The match will take place at the opponent’s ground, in Stockholm, Sweden, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.