Rui Borges rues injury, says he was Sporting’s best before setback | OneFootball

Sporting drew with Benfica (1-1) at Estádio da Luz, in the derby of the 13th round of Liga Portugal Betclic. At the end of the match, Rui Borges spoke about a strong start in the first half, but acknowledged that the team allowed Benfica to grow into the derby. The coach also lamented the physical problem that affected Pote in recent weeks, considering that he had been Sporting’s best player.

"We started very well in the first half. The first 25 minutes were very good, we were clearly on top of the game and Benfica didn’t create any danger for us. Benfica grew a little after the equalizer, managed to have a bit more of the ball, but without creating much danger for us until the end of the first half, maybe one or two crosses through our area, the chances they had in Sporting’s box. In the second half, we weren’t as capable of keeping the ball, of being the Sporting we wanted to be. Not so much because of the opponent’s pressure, but rather due to our own lack of proactivity, at times, with the ball. We became very predictable, not proactive enough in offering passing solutions. We started missing passes, losing some confidence, and in that sense, we gave confidence to Benfica. Benfica had one or two shots, without creating much danger, also helped by the crowd; the atmosphere ends up helping the opponent to grow. That’s my analysis: our inability in the second half to keep more of the ball, just as we did in the first 25 minutes of the first half, more due to our own inertia than the opponent’s merit," he began by telling BTV.

The coach spoke about what he wanted in the second half: "We wanted to have a pressing team, with good timing in our pressing, we had clearly identified ourselves in that aspect. We also wanted defensive security at the back, so Benfica couldn’t break through with a quick attack or counter-attack, or a long pass that could surprise us. The team was very effective and very focused in those pressing moments, very proactive, the energy was there. What we lacked was a bit more of that energy, that ability to close down spaces, to better read the timing of the press. Here and there, we missed some moments to press; we had poor defensive positioning. It’s true that Benfica, because of their quality, didn’t create much danger for us, and I even think it was more due to the help of the crowd itself, because the atmosphere here always ends up helping Benfica’s team grow. But, in that regard, maybe in the second half Benfica improved a bit with the ball, more than we did, because we kept missing passes and were very predictable in our first phase of build-up. So, that’s mostly what it comes down to."

Rui Borges also spoke about starting Pote in the lineup: "I put him in because he was doing well. Quenda played two great games and gives us things that are different from what Pote offers. Pote, before his injury, was Sporting’s best player. So, it seemed like a natural choice; it could also have been between Geny and Quenda," he pointed out. The coach also explained the differences between the ‘number 8’ and Chelsea’s future signing.

"Quenda has been doing very well, it’s the kind of headache a coach likes to have. That was really the choice, because Pote has that ability to give us the ball, to make unexpected decisions at times, to see things differently, and we needed a bit of that. Quenda gives us boldness, acceleration… he gives us different things," he concluded.

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