João Brandão: “It’s going to be an extremely competitive match” | OneFootball

After a comeback against Benfica B (2-1) that ended a winless period in the Segunda Liga, FC Porto B travels to Estádio Marcolino Castro, in Santa Maria da Feira, to face CD Feirense in the 18th round (Monday, 6:00 PM, Sport TV+), marking the start of the second half of the season.

Coach João Brandão mentioned an “extremely competent” opponent and highlighted that “it is the team in the league with the most shots,” so “the determination, grit, and aggressiveness we show will be crucial.” Martim Chelmik, who earned his first professional minutes last weekend, states that only the “best version” of the Porto team will bring them closer to victory. FC Porto B is in 12th place with 21 points, the same as CD Feirense, which is in 11th.

The victory in the most recent classic“Above all, it was the validation of the work we did that week and also the validation of what has been individual and collective growth. It’s a door that closed, and now there’s a new challenge on Monday.”

CD Feirense“It is an extremely competent team that had a strong win in the last game. The data doesn’t lie, and it is the team in the league with the most shots, including on target, besides being difficult to play at their home, as the field dimensions have very specific characteristics. The issue of set pieces gains even more importance, but we are prepared and trained very well this week. Above all, we know it will be an extremely competitive game, in which the determination, grit, and aggressiveness we show will be crucial.”

Two teams tied on points“It is the first round of the second half, and as I’ve mentioned, it’s a long marathon where we have to be very focused and very alert. The fact that we are facing a team with the same points as us is an extra motivation to come out ahead of our opponent.”

The debut of U-17 world champion Martim Chelmik“As has happened with other young players, it has been a pattern in recent times that we have managed to integrate extremely young players into the B team context. That is the purpose of the B team. The results and position in the table are also important because we represent a team with the Porto brand and the brand of winning, but we are also very involved in launching these young players.”

Martim ChelmikThe comeback against Sporting B“It was a very important victory. We played a great game and achieved an excellent result, but that game is over, and we are focused on Monday’s game, which will be very difficult.”

The next opponent“It is a gritty team that will create many difficulties for us, so we have to present our best version to come away with the three points. We are FC Porto, and we approach every game to win.”

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