Farioli: Bednarek and Thiago Silva gave a defensive masterclass | OneFootball

The FC Porto coach, Francesco Farioli, spoke in the press room of Estádio do Dragão after the 2-0 victory against Stuttgart, a result that secured access to the Europa League quarter-finals:

«In both matches, I believe we did enough to deserve qualification. Obviously, it's never easy to beat a team from one of the top five leagues, especially when they are at the top of the Bundesliga. We have to appreciate the performances, both individual and collective; Diogo Costa was undoubtedly at an extraordinary level. It was, in a way, a tribute to Silvino, who played a decisive role in FC Porto's history as a goalkeeper and coach. Despite some physical limitations with his back, he managed to play and delivered a great match. We also had an authentic lesson from Bednarek and Thiago Silva when it came to defending the area; 1000 games is an impressive milestone and, if you think about it, it corresponds to an average of 50 matches over 20 seasons, which is surreal. We don't have much time to celebrate: I told the players they can celebrate until midnight, but then we have to focus on Sp. Braga, which is a fantastic team, and we will need all our energy for the weekend's game.»

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