Paulo Freitas wants Porto response after Sporting drubbing: “Do or die” | OneFootball

Sporting host FC Porto this Saturday at 7 p.m. in the second semi-final of the roller hockey championship playoff. After Alvalade’s team’s unexpected 7-3 thrashing at the Dragons’ arena, the rematch will now take place in Lisbon.

Paulo Freitas, Porto’s coach, stressed that the team will have to “put everything into the game,” since their opponents are “a very strong and aggressive team”: “We’re heading into a battle and we have to do everything within our power to come away with a positive result, because only victory matters to us. It’s do or die, and we’re going after what we want, which is to win.”

The 57-year-old coach admitted he is not expecting any major surprises. “The teams know each other so well that very few surprises can happen, but we are focused on ourselves and prepared for the difficulties they will pose,” he concluded.

Rafa Bessa also does not see qualification for the playoff final as guaranteed and argues that Sporting cannot “get carried away.” “We can’t become overconfident because of the result of the first game. The second is a game in itself, separate from the first. We do have the confidence of being 1-0 up, yes, but above all we are ready to win again,” the forward told Sporting’s media.

The Portuguese player said he was convinced that FC Porto would look for a “quick response” to their deficit in the tie and assured that the team is focused and well prepared: “We are ready for an aggressive and highly committed opponent. We’ll be here to deliver a response to match.”

The playoff semi-finals are played as a best-of-five series, alternating between the two venues. The first, third and, if necessary, fifth games are held at FC Porto’s home rink, as the runners-up in the regular season, while the second and, if needed, fourth are played on Sporting’s home court, as the third-placed team in the regular season.

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