Farioli hails Rui Borges, eyes Sporting-Porto upset | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli gave a preview last Monday, March 2nd, of the match between Sporting and Porto, which will take place at Estádio José Alvalade. The coach of the Dragons praised the work done by Rui Borges, showing caution in analyzing the match and comparing it to recent classics.

"It's a different competition. Our focus is entirely on the Cup. The style of both teams is very clear. There will be some differences compared to that game, because since then Sporting has changed its approach significantly. For the first time, they started pressing high man-to-man in the last two games. Given the team they are, I don't believe that, in front of their fans, they will present a medium block waiting for us. I believe they will be more aggressive than here at Dragão. We will play against a team that has been doing a fantastic job since coach Rui Borges took over. In the League and the Portuguese Cup, in 52 games they have only one defeat, which was against us. That says a lot about the incredible work they are doing and the quality of their team," he began by saying.

"We are at a stage where the level of knowledge of our opponents is becoming very high. There are always small changes. The game is always very tactical, and what usually makes the difference is how the teams decide to approach the game. Tomorrow, that will be a key point. They also know what to expect from us, because we are very predictable: we give everything to press all opponents, and we will do the same tomorrow. It will be an open game, played face-to-face, although with different moments throughout the match. At times we will have to defend very well, be humble, in our midfield, but our intentions are clear. There will be adaptations, some surprises may occur due to the characteristics of the players, but I expect a game between two courageous teams," Farioli also stated.

It is worth remembering that Rui Borges followed the same line as the Porto coach in his preview of the match: "I don't speak of fear, I think there is a great respect between the two teams. We know there is always a strategic side, as is normal in big games. Now there are no longer things like passing the ball to the goalkeeper for him to catch. Sometimes we have to be smarter, and the teams don't expose themselves, but I believe it will be a good game with two teams wanting to play, even with that strategic side," he stated.

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