Álvaro Pacheco: We believe we can give FC Porto their first defeat | OneFootball

The Casa Pia coach says he is “motivated” to “hand FC Porto their first defeat” and “secure the geese’s first home victory” of the season, in a preview of the 20th round of the Liga Betclic, scheduled for tomorrow.

Álvaro Pacheco, coming off a defeat against Sporting (0-3) and a draw with AVS SAD (3-3), emphasized that Casa Pia will have to “match FC Porto’s intensity, collective commitment, and belief” and “trust in their own work” to beat the dragons, expecting a “very positive response” from his team, which is still searching for its first home win this season.

The coach praised the Porto squad and the work of Francesco Farioli, as well as the “key role” of forward Samu. At 54 years old, Pacheco believes the key will be to “take advantage of the spaces that FC Porto usually leaves and the weaknesses they have,” expecting a “very positive” match between two teams “growing” and “fantastic to watch.”

Following the 3-3 draw with AVS SAD, a game in which Casa Pia led 3-0 and conceded the equalizer near the end, the coach admitted that “it hurt to lose two points” but that “there were many positives” to take away, as well as “lessons to be learned.”

“The last impression is the one that stays, and in the last game it hurt us to lose two points. But there were many positives. For the first time, Casa Pia was able to be 3-0 up at home, and that shows us the path and trajectory we want to follow. We hold on to our work. We need to understand what helps us become stronger and more capable, and go into the game determined to impose our will to win,” he stressed. “But we also need to draw a big lesson: games only end when the referee blows the whistle, and that means we need extra focus and concentration, especially in the final minutes. In the last game, that was fatal for us and that small lapse cost us two points. We have to be able to learn,” he added, concluding: “tomorrow, if we’re winning in the final minutes, we’ll be able to hold on to the victory.”

Regarding the transfer market and the arrival on loan of midfielder João Marques from Sp. Braga, Pacheco stated that the player, whom he has already worked with, is coming to help the team: “I know him, he worked with me, and he’s coming with the intention of helping us become stronger. He’s a player who fits the profile we’re looking for,” he assessed.

The geese will be without center-backs Kaique Rocha and José Fonte, both injured, while midfielder Seba Pérez is doubtful up until game time. Casa Pia, 16th in the table with 15 points, will host league leaders FC Porto, with 55 points, in Rio Maior on Monday at 8:45 pm, in a match to be refereed by Pedro Ramalho (Évora).

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