Vasco Matos: Calling Gabriel Batista the villain is unfair | OneFootball

Evaluation: “We left feeling sad because we played a great game against an excellent team, very competitive and secure, always very connected and intense. We knew we were facing a very physical opponent that would cause us great problems, and the team responded with growth and focus. We are sad because we could have left with a different result, but we have to continue our work.”

Did the goalkeeper's mistake affect the result? “It's reductive to focus on that play. What I have to say is to value the work the team did as a whole and not focus on an individual mistake within our game. I think we played a great game, very competent, competitive, intense, and with a lot of quality. In the second half, we had possession and drew the opponent in, we managed to reach the opposite side, but we lacked some definition in the final third. But I highlight the great attitude, which is our trademark, our identity. It has been like this throughout the three years I've been here. Everyone should be proud of what we did today. Tomorrow is another day, and it's time to start preparing for the next game.”

Did FC Porto closing spaces make it difficult to access the final third? “FC Porto, after taking the lead, adopted a different attitude, but I think we grew in the game at that point. We didn't shrink back; we understood that when we conceded the goal, we had to be a balanced team, we got into the game, managed to have possession, and pushed FC Porto back. I don't remember any opportunity for FC Porto after that, we ended the game very well by having possession and closing the lanes. This is our identity, and it's the path we will continue to follow. We still have a lot to gain.”

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