Rui Borges admits Sporting face challenges in Naples, urges team to step up | OneFootball

Rui Borges’ Sporting and Napoli face off this Wednesday, November 1st, at 8:00 PM, in the Champions League.

Sporting faces Napoli in the Champions League – see the probable starting eleven HERE. Before the match, Rui Borges predicted difficulties for the green and whites, but admitted that the Alvalade club’s squad will be capable of overcoming any problems posed by the Italians.

"I don’t think about that, we’re talking about the Italian champions, they’ll be facing the Portuguese champions, it will be a special, different atmosphere. Two great teams, may it be a great match. We will have difficulties and I believe we’ll be prepared for them. The demands of the game are different, but our motivation will be at its peak so we can overcome a great team", he told SportTV.

Asked whether this is an opportunity for Sporting to show they can go head-to-head with opponents of the same level, Rui Borges was direct: "I don’t see it that way. Last season we also lost matches, I don’t look to the past".

"Both against Benfica and Porto we played good matches, it went the opponent’s way, but it is what it is. New opponent, a different competition, we have to switch on to the demands and be prepared. And manage to play a good game", admitted the coach.

Sporting returns to the pitch this Wednesday, October 1st, against Napoli, in a match for the second round of the regular phase of the Champions League. The match against the team led by Antonio Conte will be played at 8:00 PM, at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

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