José Alberto Costa: Casa Pia loss won’t hold FC Porto back | OneFootball

The recent defeat to Casa Pia (2-1) should not affect FC Porto in their home match against Sporting in the Liga Betclic, according to former player José Alberto Costa, who expects the Dragons to be “galvanized” for Monday’s classic.

“FC Porto must accept that they are in front and know that, if they win or draw, they extend or maintain their lead. Under no circumstances can they go into their own stadium, with the support of their fans, feeling inhibited in any way. The defeat may encourage Sporting, but I would be very disappointed if FC Porto did not assert themselves as the main contender just because they lost the last match,” emphasized the former player, who represented the ‘Dragons’ between 1978 and 1985, to Lusa news agency.

The league leaders, FC Porto, with 55 points, host second-placed Sporting, with 51, on Monday at 8:45 pm, in a match for the 21st round – this will be the second encounter between the teams this season, after Porto’s 2-1 victory in the first round at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.

“I think the responsibility of playing in front of their home crowd will galvanize FC Porto’s players. A win would greatly increase their chances of becoming champions, while a Sporting victory would set the league alight. In that case, it would be the ability to withstand pressure, with just a one-point lead, that would make the difference. Domestically, FC Porto hasn’t been truly tested in that regard yet,” added the two-time league winner with the club, in 1978/79 and 1984/85.

José Alberto Costa praised the improvements made by the Porto side compared to last season, highlighting that the team is well positioned in the title race and that their performance has exceeded initial expectations.

“Compared to last season, FC Porto’s performance has been fantastic, because no one, no matter how optimistic, expected such a radical change. Right now, the standings reflect that, with a four-point lead after 20 rounds. There’s been a transformation based on the criteria for choosing players and coach, which has worked out perfectly. The question is whether it will stay that way until the end, as there are still many games to go,” said José Alberto Costa, who, after ending his playing career, went on to work as both head coach and assistant.

Despite praising the progress under Francesco Farioli, the former winger pointed out weaknesses, especially in offensive organization against teams that sit back in a low block, and believes Sporting will likely adopt a more attacking approach due to their need for three points.

“The signs, except for the last game, have been very positive. (…) But, in certain matches, the results have been better than the performances, and I fear that might happen again. There are situations, in terms of offensive organization, that FC Porto has struggled to resolve, especially against teams that play in a low block and close up a lot,” he concluded, anticipating an “open game” on Monday.

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