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

FC Porto visit Académico de Viseu in the fourth round of the league. Francesco Farioli expects “a very difficult game” against “a team that has already proven itself, is brave without the ball and very organized” and that “will give its life to get points.” The Porto coach stresses, however, that “the objective is clear”: “We are here to win and we will do everything to achieve it. The transfer window closing cannot take the focus away from the game.”

For Saturday’s match, at 6:00 p.m., 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 in 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 proven itself, a brave team without the ball, that likes to press and has good moments on the ball, very organized and a threat from set pieces, a phase of play 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 are going to face, but there is not much to comment on because everything is still being built. We have to wait for the window to close before making some assessments.”

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

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

An update on the transfer market “I think the president already analyzed the situation in depth yesterday. After the statements he made, we spoke last night, but I do not have any news and the situation remains exactly as he described it.”

Martim Fernandes “Yes, Martim has recovered and will be back on the match 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 reinforcing 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 do in the market depends on various 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 transfer window must not take our focus away from tomorrow’s game, especially because I expect a very difficult match in Viseu against a team that will give its life to get points. For us, it would be a huge step to get the result we want.”

Medical update “Apart from 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 always have to be at your best at all times. He is a fantastic athlete, he always worked to the maximum with full respect for his teammates and accepted playing less than he did at the start of the season, when he was one of the players with the most minutes. He always had the right attitude and waited for his opportunities. What he has done since the start of this season is fantastic: he scored goals in 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 one more example that when you work at the maximum, sooner or later the reward comes. It happened with Nehuén Pérez and now with Borja Sainz. We are very happy to see that those players’ effort brings the rewards they wanted, whether through the team’s good results or through success on an individual level.”

Focus on the challenge in Viseu “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 do your shopping in. What interests me is that we go into tomorrow with the right approach and focused on the game. From this moment until 11:00 p.m., the phone has to be on airplane mode and, from Monday onward, everyone will have their phone on for 48 hours so they can know the latest transfer market 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 an equalizer and we managed to exploit that in the best way, which made the match nicer 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 tighter and patience has to come to the surface. Our objective is clear: we are here to win and we will do everything 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 that I would rather have avoided.”

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