FC Porto visit Casa Pia fully focused, Froholdt out | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli has not forgotten last season’s defeat in Rio Maior and is demanding maximum concentration for the visit to Casa Pia on matchday six of the league (tomorrow, 6pm, Sport TV1). The FC Porto coach praised the team’s response against Manchester City, but stressed the need to stay focused on the league. Victor Froholdt is still following the protocol and has been confirmed as unavailable.

Memories of the game in Rio Maior “Last year’s game is still fresh in our memory. The conditions were not the best, the pitch was not in very good shape, but that was not the biggest problem. We allowed several situations and ended up paying a high price for it. Even throwing everything into attack, we were unable to win and it was our first defeat in the league. The memories of that game are still very much alive. We are in a new season, they have changed coach and have some new players. They have changed quite a lot in terms of dynamics, they play positive football and try to keep the ball, they play with a back four, there are some changes. It is an opponent that wants the three points, but we want them badly too, because they are crucial to our journey. We want to train well today and go well prepared for the atmosphere we are going to find. We have the desire and the need to come back from Lisbon with the three points.”

Victor Froholdt’s situation “Unfortunately Victor Froholdt is still not available. It was a major trauma, as can be seen in the images. He is recovering well, but he is still following the protocol and we cannot count on him.”

Assessment of the match against Manchester City “I think the players’ energy is good. I know my opinions after the game sparked some comments because I said it had been a fantastic match. It was related to the whole context of the contest, we cannot forget that we were missing five players against one of the best teams in the world. Even so, we competed well, the game was open until the 92nd minute. Maybe we did not create a huge number of chances, but zero shots on target is just one statistic. There are things statistics do not show, such as the 14 or 15 times we got close to their box with a numerical advantage or level numbers and missed by a few centimetres in the final action. Looking at it properly, I think the team competed very well, had the ability to fight physically and to run more than the opponent. Of course we could have created more danger, but the analysis is positive and I made it. I doubt some of your colleagues did the same. Other than that, we were not satisfied with the result, it was a game that demanded a lot from us physically and mentally, we had one day to recover everyone and today and tomorrow morning to prepare for the game in the best way and go into it with an empty stomach and the desire to compete for three more points.”

Exclusive focus on Casa Pia “We always say the same thing, that we approach the schedule game by game. We want to get the most out of every match and tomorrow is no exception. We cannot waste energy thinking about the clássico because we have enough time to recover until then. There is no time for distractions. Total focus and maximum energy on the game against Casa Pia.”

Oskar Pietuszewski’s condition “Oskar Pietuszewski is recovering from two injuries. He is already training partially with the team, but we will need to be very sure before he returns to make sure it does not happen again. I prefer to be extra careful because he is a player with great explosiveness and we want him back in top form to help us with all his qualities.”

The options for the attack “The need to have our strikers fit is going to be key. André Silva is the one in the best form and he has been impeccable in terms of goal contributions and understanding of the game. As for Santiago Gimenez, he is coming off two years with small injuries, although one of them forced him to stop for longer. He did not have pre-season with AC Milan, but now he is here and highly motivated to help the team. We were having coffee before coming here and he seems quite happy, with the right spirit and the desire to help the team. He is going to need some time. If he goes to the national team, we hope he gets minutes and can train at a good rhythm; if he stays, it will be even better because it will mean three weeks to work in the best way. As for Samu, he is working very hard and defying all the odds, but I do not like putting my players at risk, so first we need all the green lights from the medical department. It will be a pleasure for me, for his teammates and for the fans to have his qualities and energy back.”

The squad’s physical condition “To play at that level you need to understand the rhythm of the game, because when the opponent accelerates, our players have to understand the density of open spaces, especially because we do not want to lose our identity, so we often played man to man and won the ball back from the goalkeeper in a move that almost resulted in a goal. In terms of the team’s work I could not be more satisfied, the team ran more than Manchester City, even though they have a different physical profile, but we made up for that with a lot of desire and with the work we have done over the last few weeks to be able to compete in these matches. The players put in a fantastic performance. Last season we had already run more than our opponents across the 53 games we played, this year the level has gone up, but we still have the same benchmarks. We know what our style of play demands, but the team has been able to handle it and, soon, when everyone is fit, we will have solutions to rotate the team and keep everyone fresh in both legs and mind, as we were and as we are.”

The integration of Seko Fofana “About Seko Fofana, I say the same as I said about Santiago Gimenez. He arrived in the final days of the market, came with an injury from Stade Rennais and had a very short summer. He is a very physical player, he needs to be at a very high level, for now he can make an impact, but I still do not see him as ready to start. The international break will be crucial for him to return to the level he was at last season. From there, I will make the best possible decisions.”

The impact of the Champions League “Viral clips do not give us points. We had good moments and good moves, but being good is not enough to win. When we get players like Oskar Pietuszewski or Samu back, it will be possible to freshen up the team, because it is not easy to keep this rhythm all the time without rotating. For example, for William Gomes to maintain this rhythm and this intensity is not easy. He has always been starting, last year he was a player who was used to changing the game when he came on and now he is doing the same from the start, which can lead to a certain mental load. He is only 19 or 20 years old, he used to be a substitute and now he has been playing against a player who cost 80 or 90 million euros. Of course in these games efficiency drops a little, but that should not be a criticism, it is just a fact. We are in a process of growth and gaining experience for certain players. It was my first Champions League game, but it was also the first for Alberto Costa and Gabri Veiga, who delivered great performances, just like William Gomes. We have to understand where we are in our journey and the whole context led to my comment that the game had been positive. Manchester City is already in the past, the focus is fully on Casa Pia, an away game on a ground where we found it difficult to play last season. We are well prepared, very focused and eager to play a great game tomorrow at 6pm.”

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