FC Porto coach, Francesco Farioli, considered today that a possible victory in the classic against Benfica, in the 25th round of the I Football League, will not keep the ‘reds’ out of the fight for the title.
The Italian assumed the importance of Sunday’s meeting, at the Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, against his “biggest rival”, but rejects projecting scenarios when there are still 10 rounds of the competition to play.
“Any result does not close the window for anyone. It’s an important game, but we’ll see what the table looks like later. I can say, from personal experience, that nothing will ever be over. As long as there are points to be played, we have to be at full steam”, he assured, in a pre-game press conference, at the Training and Training Center, in Olival.
At the moment, the ‘dragons’ lead the championship with a four-point advantage over second-placed Sporting, who enter the field today to face Sporting de Braga, and seven against the ‘eagles’, in third place.
Farioli highlighted the opponent’s evolution since the arrival of coach José Mourinho, whom he admires “as a person and coach”, expressing the need to keep Benfica’s most advanced players away from the Porto goal.
“The evolution since José Mourinho’s arrival is very clear. They are one of the few teams in Europe that have not yet lost in domestic championships. The way they beat Real Madrid says a lot. Just look at the second leg, in which they pressed a lot and had a lot of quality with the ball”, he analyzed.
Regarding his debut at Estádio da Luz, he says he is aware of the difficulties inherent in the environment provided by opposing fans: “I was there watching a game a few years ago, I know the atmosphere and we are aware of the environment we will find. But we are FC Porto and we approach all games with the same spirit”.
Even though the ‘dragons’ are coming off a defeat to Sporting (1-0), in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, played on Tuesday, he guarantees that he left the first half of the tie with good results and his group is doing well in terms of spirit.
“I think we are doing very well, we still have a second leg at Dragão. We went to Alvalade without five or six of our main players and I don’t think anyone recognized that. We played a good game, conditioned by some events, but with the right mentality and approach. We leave Lisbon with good energy for tomorrow’s meeting [domingo]”, he expressed.
Bednarek, who was injured against the ‘Lions’, will still be able to go to the game, in a “limited situation” in which he will be tested in the training that the ‘Blues and Whites’ will do today, before the departure to Lisbon, while his position colleague Thiago Silva is already fully integrated.
In a meeting of the 25th round of the I League, the leader FC Porto, with 65 points, goes to the stronghold of Benfica, third, with 58, with the start scheduled for 6pm on Sunday and refereeing in charge of João Pinheiro, from the Braga association.
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