João Gabriel urges fans on for Ponte Preta clash: key to turning it round | OneFootball

Felipe Santos / Ceará SC

Defensive midfielder João Gabriel called on the Alvinegra Nation to show up at Arena Castelão on Friday the 7th for the clash against Ponte Preta in the 21st round of Brazil’s Série B Championship. In a pre-match press conference, the midfielder highlighted the importance of the fans’ presence at the stadium to support the team.

"Like other players, I prefer Castelão because of the atmosphere. With the fans close and Castelão packed, it will be difficult to beat us. The fans will be very important for this turning point in the second half of the season," João Gabriel began.

The squad’s focus is on confirming a run of good results after the 4-3 comeback win over São Bernardo in São Paulo. João Gabriel, however, stressed that there is no favoritism in the matchup and said that the team that performs better will come out on top.

"The coach talked to us about that. People on the outside think Ceará are heavy favorites, but the competition is very tough, and I don’t see it that way. Whoever steps on the pitch and gives their best will come out the winner. That’s not our mindset. We know it’s going to be a tough game and that we’ll have to battle hard to try to beat them," he commented.

Finally, the defensive midfielder emphasized that the entire squad is prepared for the match. Against Ponte Preta, Eder and Júlio César will not be available to coach Daniel Paulista due to suspension and will need to be replaced.

"Everyone is prepared and has been working hard. The players who are going to come in are ready. We’ll keep playing the way we have been. We’ve been aggressive, and we’ll continue like that as we try to get the three points," he concluded.

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