Farioli plays down potential seven-point lead, hits out at fixture schedule | OneFootball

The Porto coach, Francesco Farioli, highlighted today FC Porto's positioning on three fronts in a season that was supposed to be a “rebuilding year,” in a preview of the match against Moreirense, concerning the 26th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic.

After the victory in Stuttgart (2-1) on Thursday, in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, the Italian coach praised the Dragons' journey this season, as the team leads the championship and reached the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup.

“The fact that we manage the quality and energy of the group in three competitions says a lot about the work that has been achieved. It is important to remember that this was supposedly a rebuilding year and we earned the right to be in this situation in March, to be masters of our own destiny,” he stated at a press conference at the Jorge Costa Training and Sports Development Center, in Olival.

Analysis of the opponent Moreirense

Farioli praised the team from Moreira de Cónegos, recalling their sixth position in the standings and the first-round match (Porto's victory by 2-1) to underline the difficulties he expects to encounter.

“It's good to return to the Dragão, after three away games. We play against a team that has been one of the best surprises of the championship, that plays very well. The fact that they are comfortable in the table, as Vasco [Botelho da Costa] said, should not make us relax, but rather the opposite. The first-round game, although controlled by us, was very difficult to unlock,” he recalled.

Reflection on schedule and focus

The possibility of, provisionally, having a seven-point advantage over the second-placed team, Sporting, which postponed its game of round 26, does not change the coach's perspective, but led him to comment on the scheduling of the competitions.

“We remain focused on ourselves and our game. The fact that other teams have had the possibility to postpone their games is a very particular decision. Sporting has a very tight schedule, like us, and there is no space until the last week to recover that postponed game. We should not waste energy on things we cannot control,” he assessed.

Farioli added that FC Porto will have to know how to adapt to the different moments of each match, especially if participation in the Europa League extends the load of games: “We have to adjust to various facets. At this stage of my career, I am a more complete coach, but I can still improve. The only way to succeed in various competitions is to find the best answers that each game asks of us.”

Luuk de Jong, Samu, and Nehuén Pérez remain unavailable for Sunday's match.

The leader of the Primeira Liga, FC Porto, with 66 points, hosts Moreirense, sixth-placed with 35, at 8:30 PM on Sunday at the Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, in the 26th round match, under the refereeing of Carlos Macedo, from the Braga association.

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