Sporting boss hails vital European win: We showed real maturity | OneFootball

Asked to reveal the key to the victory of Sporting’s junior team at Eintracht Frankfurt’s home, by 1-0, which resulted in advancing to the quarter-finals of the Youth League, the coach of the green and whites, João Gião, highlighted the “mature” attitude of the young lions.

“Fundamentally, we were very mature. It wasn’t, overall, a well-played game, but that’s understandable at this stage, when everyone knows that a single mistake can ruin everything. It’s 90 minutes, there isn’t even extra time, so conceding goals is costly,” he told the Club’s media.

“Above all, I think we based this victory on solid defensive organization, very combative in the duels, we knew how to defend well and then we ended up deciding the game with some quick attacks. We had identified that as a point to exploit, but we failed by not making it 2-0,” he added.

The coach went on to praise the young lions’ defense: “It ends up being a fair result against a team that created difficulties for us, has top-level internationals from several countries, playing in front of their home crowd, a good turnout [about 1,700 spectators], on their own turf. It was by no means an easy mission, but above all, I’d like to highlight the team spirit in this final stretch, with Frankfurt giving everything and we defended like true lions,” he emphasized.

In conclusion, João Gião highlighted his players’ abilities: “In every round of the Youth League, I remember the game against Kairat, which was a lesson in humility that defined our journey, where the collective came to the fore, without individualities, and that has been the key. We have been mature and supportive, not always playing as we’d like, largely due to a lack of training, but we have had belief and unity around what it means to be Sporting, and we are among the eight best teams in Europe.”

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