Viktoria Plzen boss admits: “Porto are a Champions League side” | OneFootball

In the preview of the match against FC Porto, scheduled for Thursday, the coach recalled the defensive performance of the team led by Francesco Farioli in the Portuguese championship, which conceded only four goals.

“We know a lot about our opponent. They are a very strong and complex team, one of the formations that plays in the Europa League and has Champions League quality. Defensively, they are very strong, they don't concede goals. They play with high intensity and know how to press individually, but also drop the block when necessary. They don't concede so few goals by coincidence,” he praised at a press conference.

Martin Hysky also highlighted the effectiveness of the blues and whites in the other moments of the game and pointed out the forward Samu as the main offensive reference.

“They have a style of play that I like, besides the individual quality of the players. I like them a lot and would like us to play in a similar way. It will be a great challenge for us. They are also great in attack and transition. For me, the main player is Samu. He is a player who can score goals from anywhere,” he analyzed.

Despite occupying the 14th place in the league phase, Viktoria Plzen presents the best defense in the European competition, with only two goals conceded, and remains unbeaten, with 10 points in this edition (two wins and four draws).

“The Portuguese will be favorites tomorrow [Thursday], but we play at home, we have experience and good players. I am excited. It will be a nerve-wracking match and we will do everything to make the result favorable to us,” evaluated the Czech coach.

Faced with several changes and absences in the squad, especially in the defensive axis, Martin Hysky refused to dramatize the situation.

“Ten field players play and we have 18 available. It's a matter of thinking and organization. There is not just one option, during the match we can react and change things. It's the job of a coach. We will choose according to the typology of the players and we know the level that awaits us,” he said.

Alongside the coach was forward Matej Vydra, who assured that all the squad members will be motivated for a challenge that he anticipates will be demanding: “It doesn't matter if we are 14 or 20 players.”

The experienced Czech international recognized FC Porto's favoritism and downplayed the “past” when questioned about the dragons' last season.

“They are stronger and have conceded few goals in the championship. In the Europa League, they are equally well, but I prefer to focus on what we can do. The climate can be an advantage for us, but it's not the most important thing. For me, FC Porto is slightly favored,” he concluded.

The match of the seventh round of the Europa League phase pits FC Porto, 8th with 13 points, against Viktoria Plzen, 14th with 10 points, on the Czech field. The kickoff is scheduled for 18:45 local time (17:45 in Lisbon) on Thursday, with Latvian referee Andris Treimanis officiating.

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