Farioli: “This team has big… You [journalalist] know what I mean…” | OneFootball

– How do you assess the performance against Manchester City?

– It was a fantastic performance. We had our moments and created chances. In the second half, at times, we managed to cause City a lot of problems and defended very well. However, we cannot give space to the best striker in the world [Haaland]. He had eight or nine touches of the ball, I think, had seven shots and scored two goals. We showed our DNA and this team has a lot of quality… You [journalist] know what I mean.

– Did you sense any anxiety when the team had the ball?

– I saw excellent moments [in possession] and fantastic combinations through the middle. I don’t know how many teams would be capable of playing like this against City. I’m very pleased.

– Did the absences end up having an influence?

– We faced one of the best teams in the world without five important players. We delivered a top performance, although the result was not what we wanted. From what we produced in every other aspect, apart from a few moments in both boxes, perhaps we deserved a different outcome.

– Do you believe FC Porto can finish the Champions League in the top places?

– We have to take it game by game. Now we face Casa Pia, an opponent against whom we dropped points last season. Manchester City is behind us now and we return to our league, which is one of the season’s priorities. We will recover to play at a ground that is not easy at all.

– What is your analysis of the refereeing?

– The images of the incident involving Gabri [hit by Marc Guéhi, he was left bleeding] are very clear. Gvardiol also should have been shown a second yellow card. At this level, situations like these can allow a team to play a half with one more player…

– Are you surprised that Diogo Costa has not been nominated for best goalkeeper in the world?

– I made my opinion about Diogo Costa clear a long time ago, but tonight several players stood out. Nehuén Pérez was one of them: he had gone a year without playing 90 minutes and, in this match, he fought like a lion against an exceptional player [Haaland]. Many of our players showed the dragon spirit. As for Diogo Costa, it is strange that he is not among the nominees, although my vote does not count.

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