Paulo Freitas, FC Porto coach: “We’ll face it head-on” | OneFootball

The win: “It is the fourth objective achieved in this competition, and we want to recover and prepare for the final so we can reach the fifth. It was a game worthy of a Champions League semi-final, with both teams showing great mutual respect. We did not start well and allowed Barcelos to feel comfortable in their model, waiting to react and breaking in transition. They took the lead, which was not what we wanted. Our objective was to control the scoreboard, and we knew that by doing so we could face fewer difficulties. Even so, the team showed enormous ability and quality to get back into the game. We fought back more than once, survived two underplays, and believed in the process. We understood where they could hurt us, we were fantastic in terms of discipline, and the match remained very balanced, with both teams wavering a little at certain moments. It is a Champions semi-final and there is a lot at stake. Perhaps that is why those involved cannot always fully express themselves.”

Unity: “I feel enormous satisfaction at being able to count on the quality of standout athletes, and of course, when we work on attack, one of our objectives is to bring out individual talent. But we cannot forget the way we pressed the opposition, forcing them into mistakes, so that individuality could then stand out. It was Gonçalo Alves who made the difference, because Gonçalo is an exceptional player, obviously, but it could just as well have been anyone else. For me, it would have been exactly the same. What matters is that we kept our composure, held on to the result, honoured the club, and won. FC Porto will be in the Champions League final, and tomorrow we will be here with our chests out, against whichever opponent comes through from the other semi-final, to fight until the very last drop of sweat to win the Champions League. I repeat, Gonçalo Alves is an exceptional athlete and player, and he has above-average quality. We know he can help us in many moments, sometimes pulling rabbits out of the hat, as people say. The only thing we have to understand is that we did collective work that allowed individuality to stand out. Gonçalo was decisive again from set pieces, as were Carlo Di Benedetto and Edu Lamas. This team does not individualise the good things, nor does it individualise any mistakes that may arise. We experience everything as a team. Of course, for me it is a pleasure to have Gonçalo Alves, Carlo Di Benedetto, Rafa, Hélder Nunes, Telmo Pinto, Mali, Leonardo Pais, Pol Manrubia, and Ezequiel Mena. I am not forgetting anyone.”

The decisive strategy: “We needed a different kind of game, and we realised that the moves created by Gonçalo Alves were being well defended by Barcelos, who were crowding the middle lane and stretching the wide channels. When Gonçalo came on late in the game, I told him exactly that and instructed him to look for the wide channel and then come back inside through the middle lane, in order to pull Barcelos out of their comfort zone. We wanted a team with greater mobility, understanding that Gonçalo would be an important player in that dynamic.”

Benfica or Barcelona in the final: “I have no preference, and it would be a tremendous lack of respect on my part to choose between the two clubs that are going to face each other, two extremely well-managed teams. May the best team win and, tomorrow, perhaps have a little less energy so that we can get a boost here and win the Champions League, although there is no such thing as fatigue when it comes to playing a final. The athletes recover much more easily. I believe it will be a good game and a great hockey spectacle.”

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