Alan Varela: If foul on Pepê was given, no penalty would follow | OneFootball

Alan Varela was the player chosen by FC Porto to comment on the defeat at Alvalade, in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals. The Argentine midfielder highlighted a refereeing error that led to the penalty which decided the match.

“Luck was not on our side, they scored from a penalty, but if the referee had called the foul on Pepê, it wouldn’t have happened and it would have stayed 0-0. It was a bad decision by the referee, there’s nothing we can do,” said Alan Varela.

“It was a very hard-fought game, in the first half we hardly suffered any of their plays. We created some chances and maybe they were a bit better in the second half, but not better than us. There are 90 minutes left, we will keep working and the tie will be decided at our home,” continued the midfielder, already looking ahead to Sunday’s match at Luz against Benfica.

“Now, we have to think about Benfica, it’s going to be a very tough game, but we are prepared. The Cup tie is still open, anything can happen. Now, we’ll think about Benfica and then we’ll see what happens,” he concluded to RTP’s microphones.

Analysis: “The truth is we knew it would be a tough game. They are a great team and play very good football. In the first half they didn’t trouble us much, we had some chances that we couldn’t finish. In the second half, they pushed up a bit more and got the penalty that we shouldn’t have given away. I don’t remember any more chances for them, we know we have another 90 minutes at home, with our fans, so we’ll keep working for these games ahead of us.”

They didn’t create much to score. What was missing to respond? “Obviously, as I said, they are a great team. They defended well and we tried everything until the end. We couldn’t finish with a goal.”

There’s still the home game to play. Is there confidence? “Nothing is decided, it’s just 1-0. But honestly, we can do more, our fans will push us until the end. With a good game, we can turn it around.”

It’s an important week for FC Porto. “No, this result won’t have any influence. They are the reigning league and cup champions, we fought on equal terms and there wasn’t much difference. That’s how I feel. I believe we have to keep working, improve day by day, and fight until the end.”

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