Farioli and Sporting’s warning: “One goal means nothing” | OneFootball

Sporting's comeback in the Champions League tie against Bodo/Glimt served as a warning for Francesco Farioli and his players, who will play the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 at Dragão tomorrow, following their 2-1 victory in Germany.

"We have nothing to protect, because at this level, one goal is nothing. You saw the football experience in what happened yesterday and in previous ties: even with big leads, nothing is done until the final whistle. So, as I said, there's nothing to defend. There is, however, a qualification that we want to attack," stated the FC Porto coach this Wednesday, in statements to Sport TV.

Options: "Regarding the starting eleven, allow me to keep a bit of secrecy and strategic advantage. We'll see; there might be some changes, none, or many. You'll see tomorrow. What we know is what's important: whoever is on the field, or whoever comes on during the game, must play with an offensive stance, a clear mindset, and the desire to win the match. We have nothing to protect, because at this level, one goal is nothing. You saw the football experience in what happened yesterday and in previous ties: even with big leads, nothing is done until the final whistle. So, as I said, there's nothing to defend. There is, however, a qualification that we want to attack."

Expectations: "There are, of course, many different possibilities in the game. I expect a team [Stuttgart] true to their style, because that's how they are in every game. There's not much to discover in terms of game strategy, because it's a team that, like us, when they step on the field, you already know what to expect. Tomorrow, they will probably come with even more intensity. The game in Stuttgart taught us some things, but what happened there is in the past. The most important thing now is what will happen tomorrow at Dragão."

Game Control: "They won't allow us to have total dominance. Generally, in the league, we encounter teams that prefer to close the space behind due to the quality of players we have to attack depth and open field. But tomorrow's game will be, let's say, a double invasion. They will come to press in our midfield and we will do the same. It will be a game with many open field moments where, probably on paper, ball possession will be equally divided. Then, there will be moments when we might have more or less control, but the important thing is to try to maintain that control with and without the ball, managing the different scenarios. It will certainly be an open game, because I don't expect them to wait for us in their midfield. That was the game we prepared for and that, with 99 percent certainty, we will play tomorrow."

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