FC Porto visit Académico de Viseu, Farioli braced for tough test | OneFootball

FC Porto travel to Académico de Viseu on matchday four of the league. Francesco Farioli is expecting “a very difficult game” against “a team that has already proved itself, is brave without the ball and very organized” and that “will give everything to get points.” The Porto coach stresses, however, that “the objective is clear”: “We are here to win and we will do everything we can to achieve it. The transfer window closing cannot take the focus away from the game.”

For Saturday’s match at 6pm, live on Sport TV1, the Italian coach wants a team “with the same intensity as always and determined to attack at the right time, with patience and intensity,” since “it would be a huge step to get the result we want” at the Municipal do Fontelo, where “the game will smile on whoever performs better on the pitch.” Speaking at a press conference at Olival, he added: “With the exception of Samu and Oskar Pietuszewski, everyone else is already training with the team. Apart from those two players and Seko Fofana, everyone is ready to play.”

The opponent in Viseu “It is a team that has already proved itself, a brave team without the ball, that likes to press and has good spells on the ball, very organized and a threat from set pieces, a phase of the game in which they have already scored three goals. There are many challenges ahead in a game that will require a lot of attention.”

The Champions League draw “We were here yesterday watching the Champions League draw. It was good to find out who we will face, but there are not many comments to make because everything is still taking shape. We have to wait for the window to close before making some considerations.”

Seko Fofana “Seko Fofana is a player we know well, he left good memories and now he has returned, but he needs a few days to get back into shape. He will not be in tomorrow’s squad. He came to help, with the right mentality, and to help the team as he did last season.”

Bruno Pinheiro’s comments “It is something natural, part of the strategy to create a certain indirect pressure on the refereeing team. Bruno Pinheiro is a born winner, he likes to have every aspect in his favor, he did what he had to do, but I do not need to say that we all expect to see fair decisions, as always, and that the game smiles on whoever is better on the pitch.”

Rodrigo Mora “I saw Rodrigo Mora’s game, I think he did very well and I am very happy that he made his debut for his new club.”

The market situation “I think the president already analyzed the situation in depth yesterday. After the statements he made, we spoke last night, but I have no news and the situation remains as he described it.”

Martim Fernandes “Yes, Martim has recovered and will be back on the team sheet.”

Options in the market “We are in a situation where Samu will still take a few more weeks to return to training. In my view, it is not about strengthening one position, but about creating a puzzle that can adjust to different scenarios. Sometimes we think one player can replace another, but I like to see things from a broader angle. Sometimes we need a player who can cover different positions. As I have already said, we are completely aligned at the club and what we are going to do in the market depends on several factors and circumstances. As you know, the final days of the window are always hectic and many things can happen. The fact that we are approaching the end of the window must not take the focus away from tomorrow’s game, especially because I am expecting a very difficult game in Viseu against a team that will give everything to get points. For us, it would be a huge step to get the result we want.”

Medical update “Other than Samu and Oskar Pietuszewski, everyone else is already training with the team. Cláudio Ramos also recovered in recent days, so apart from those two players and Seko Fofana, everyone is ready to play.”

Borja Sainz in the spotlight “Borja Sainz is a player who went through a very tough personal situation in the second half of last season. That naturally affected him, even though he worked hard, but to compete at the highest level you have to be at your best at all times. He is a fantastic athlete, he always worked at full capacity with total respect for his teammates and accepted playing less than he did at the start of the season, when he was one of those with the most minutes. He always had the right spirit and waited for his opportunities. What he has done since the start of this season is fantastic: he scored goals in the pre-season friendlies, scored two goals in the last two matches, had other chances and, above all, kept the desire to help the team. It is another example that when you work at maximum, sooner or later the reward comes. It happened with Nehuén Pérez and now with Borja Sainz. We are very happy to see that the effort of those players brings the desired rewards, whether through the team’s good results or success on an individual level.”

Focus on the Viseu challenge “The situation is clear and we know the prices to apply if anyone is interested in our players. As you know, FC Porto is a very expensive shop to buy from. What interests me is that we go into tomorrow with the right approach and focused on the game. From this moment until 11pm, the phone has to be on airplane mode and, from Monday onwards, everyone will have their phone on for 48 hours to know the latest transfer news.”

A very clear identity “The game can seem more entertaining depending on the opponent’s approach. FC Arouca were more conservative at the start of the game, but after conceding they opened up more in search of the equalizer and we managed to exploit that in the best way, which made the game more enjoyable to watch, since more spaces appeared and we found the right options. In other games where opponents defend deeper, it is normal for the game to be more closed and patience has to come to the fore. Our objective is clear: we are here to win and we will do everything we can to achieve it, always with our identity, determined to attack at the right time, with patience and intensity. In the last game, we did very well, I liked the intensity we applied in the first half in search of the lead. Overall, the game was very positive, apart from the last five or six minutes, in which we conceded some chances I would have preferred to avoid.”

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