Jefferson previews Porto clash and warns: If Sporting lose... | OneFootball

Jefferson, former left-back of Sporting, believes that the classic at Estádio do Dragão can be decisive in the title race and is confident in a victory for the lions. For the Brazilian, who represented the Alvalade Club between 2013 and 2019, the team led by Rui Borges has shown growth and competitive maturity, despite the inherent difficulties of playing at the Porto stronghold.

In analyzing the current state of the two teams, Jefferson emphasized that a potential defeat for Sporting would have severe consequences, given the rival's performance, but highlighted the recent response from the lions: “When you lose, you try to gather more strength for the next match, and being a classic, it gives Porto more motivation. Sporting has been growing, always winning in the final minutes, which also gives confidence to the team. But if they lose, considering what the rival is doing, it would become very difficult.”

Despite considering Sporting the favorite for the title, the former player acknowledged the challenge's difficulty at Dragão, recalling the recent unfavorable history for the lions at that venue: “It's very difficult to play there because of the atmosphere, the team, but it's another reason for the players to arrive and shed that extra weight”. Jefferson also warned about Benfica's role in the race for the top spots, noting that “there are still many games left...”.

The former left-back also highlighted the lions' collective and the individual quality of the squad, pointing out possible protagonists for the decisive game: “Sporting has national team players like Trincão, Pote, Maxi, Geny, and, of course, Suárez, who has been scoring a lot”. Confident in a victory for the lions, he anticipated a narrow outcome: “A 1-0 is enough and it could be Luis Suárez, who has scored several goals at the end of the match, leaving the fans' hearts racing. But it could be at 90’, 90’+5, or right in the first minute, to add excitement to the match and bring that typical desire of a classic.”

On the Porto side, Albertino, a former Porto forward between 1979 and 1982, believes that a victory for the dragons could practically decide the championship. In statements to the newspaper Record, the former Portuguese international, 76 years old, pointed out the home team's favoritism: “I think it will be settled. The favoritism will always be with Porto and, at home, with the support of the fans, if they play as they have accustomed us, I think they will win. But it will be a tough game.”

Nevertheless, Albertino issued a warning about the impact that a potential defeat could have on the blues and whites, recalling the recent sequence of results: “It would be two in a row...”. The former player also downplayed the weight of classics in the final decision of the competition, arguing that championships are mostly built in other games: “It's always better to play a classic than against smaller clubs. But the championship is not just classics, and normally, it's against the smaller ones that titles are won.”

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