FC Porto begin 28th Champions campaign against Manchester City | OneFootball

“FC Porto’s history in the Champions League is immense” and tomorrow it reaches its 28th chapter, with Szymon Marciniak officiating the match against Manchester City, scheduled for 8pm and broadcast on Sport TV5. The Porto coach describes the opponent as “one of the main contenders for the title and one of the best teams in the world”, recalling that “they invested 527 million euros in the last transfer window and have been built to win everything”.

“It is up to us to do everything within our power to make things difficult for them,” says Francesco Farioli, aware that “this is an opportunity for the group to prove its worth at the highest level”. The coach wants to deliver “the great night that FC Porto and its supporters deserve” and believes that “the Porto family will have an important role in creating the right atmosphere for a great performance”: “Whenever we play at the Estádio do Dragão, something special can happen”.

A significant history in the competition “FC Porto’s history in the Champions League is immense, whether in the number of matches, appearances or the two trophies. We are going to face one of the main contenders for the title, and we have a lot of respect for the opponent we will face tomorrow, both for their individual quality and their organization, but also for the legacy built by Pep Guardiola, who is now in a new cycle with Enzo Maresca. It will be a game that will demand our very best and we will give everything to make our supporters happy, always knowing that every time we step onto the pitch at the Estádio do Dragão, special things can happen.”

Absences in the middle “If we think back to the first match last year in the Europa League, we are missing all the players from the spine of the team except Diogo Costa. We are without Jan Bednarek, Victor Froholdt and Samu, in addition to the absences of Zaidu and Oskar Pietuszewski, who are important players for us. It won’t be possible to have everyone available, but it is an opportunity for the rest of the group to show what it can do at the highest level and to provide further proof of the good work it does on the pitch, as well as for the squad to show that it can respond to these absences and put in a great performance.”

The role of the supporters “Everything varies according to the team’s needs; I have to think about what I need to do to bring energy to the team. Some players arrived in the final days of the transfer window and are still not in the shape we want. We are convinced about what we need to do tomorrow. On the other hand, it is very important for the group to step up and find answers to the absences we have. In addition, we are counting on the great support of the Porto family, who will create the right atmosphere for us to produce a great performance.”

The options in attack “It’s a fantastic problem to have, the best kind. When all three forwards are fit, it will be a pleasure to choose.”

His Champions League debut “I’m very happy to be making my Champions League debut at 37, I think that’s very good. I came close to qualifying before, but this delay until my Champions League debut made perfect sense, because the decisions we made here at FC Porto were very important. Everything comes at the right time, tomorrow is my first Champions League match, but we treat every game the same way, with the same detail, attention and preparation. Normally, we even give a little more in domestic competitions, because they require a greater motivational effort. Having motivation tomorrow will be easy for everyone, as will maintaining our alertness levels. The most important thing is the level we will have and our ability to carry out our plan in a match of the highest demand, especially because we are going to play against one of the best teams in the world, who invested 527 million euros in the last transfer window and more than three billion in the last year. It is a team that has been built to win everything, and it is up to us to do everything within our power to make things difficult for them.”

Home advantage “The most important thing is always the team’s spirit. This morning, we were laughing in the meeting about the good and bad news. The bad news is that we will have to run a lot. The good news is that we have the legs and lungs to put in a great performance against an opponent that is physically and technically one of the best in the world. For our part, we know who we are, we always play with the same humility but with the same level of ambition, always aware that at the Estádio do Dragão we can do something special together with our supporters. They will help us run those extra five metres so that we can have the great night that FC Porto and its supporters deserve.”

Maximum demand “We will need everyone at the highest level tomorrow, whether those who start or those who come on from the bench. There is no other way to compete than by giving your maximum.”

Samu “We have to assess him day by day. He has been working very hard to recover, but as I have already said, before he can have minutes again, we need several clearances from the medical staff and the doctors who were involved in the surgery to see when he will return. Seeing him close to the rest of the team, starting to train and touch the ball again, is extra motivation for everyone.”

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