Augusto Inácio is blunt: Sporting have no chance v Arsenal with Hjulmand | OneFootball

Sporting will have to raise their attacking levels if they want to overturn the 1-0 deficit against Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals in London. That is the view defended by Augusto Inácio, who points to the need for greater aggression whenever the opportunity arises.

"Whenever they catch Arsenal losing the ball, Sporting cannot delay their attack or play sideways or backwards, otherwise they give the opponent the chance to organize defensively," he told Lusa, also highlighting the English side’s organization: "It is already clear that, when it comes to defending, Arsenal do it with all eleven and everyone stays behind the line of the ball."

The former Sporting player and coach also analyzed the first leg, decided by Kai Havertz deep into stoppage time: "It was an even game with swings both ways. You cannot say Arsenal were a dominant side with lots of big chances. They were calculating, cynical and played for the result ahead of the second leg. Sporting also did not open up too much, at the risk of being caught out, and played with the idea of trying to score a goal, but also of not conceding."

In his individual analysis, Augusto Inácio highlighted the work of Geny Catamo and Iván Fresneda, as well as the defensive control over Viktor Gyökeres: "Geny Catamo and Fresneda were excellent tactically and that meant Gyokeres was trapped between Gonçalo Inácio and, above all, Ousmane Diomande, who marked him, gave him no chance at all and played cleanly."

Despite the danger created by Madueke, the former coach believes Sporting performed well in the deeper defensive areas, while pointing to another decisive factor: "Sporting were solid defensively" and only "the bench made the difference in Arsenal’s favor": "Sporting’s players did not react to that Martinelli pass. I think Sporting lost because they were more fatigued."

For the game in London, Inácio foresees a similar scenario, at least in the first half: "I do not see Arsenal exposing themselves too much, because they know Sporting are dangerous on the counterattack. If Sporting have to take some risks while it is still 0-0, it will only be in the second half."

Finally, he addressed Morten Hjulmand’s return after suspension in the first leg, playing down the impact: "It is obvious that Hjulmand is always missed by any team, but just because he is available does not mean Sporting suddenly have a better chance of winning."

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