Match analysis: “It was very important to have this game to give minutes to players who arrived late. We saw the 90 minutes with Santi (Gimenez), which was a goal, and he did very well. Also Mec, Souza. Fofana had never been a starter. Lots of positive things on the field. Prpic trains very well and today he had a good game and an important moment at the end. Against a team that has been doing very well and has also changed a lot of players. It’s important to move forward, I’m happy.”
Tactical system change: “After the situation with Oskar, the injury, on the wing we are shorter. I wanted to save Pepê, who has always played, and Borja. We changed the structure, something we had never done. Especially in Turkey, I played this way for 6 or 7 months. I felt that the players could understand this structure with good preparation, because the principles are the same. They managed very well. There were many interesting moments with the ball. There was a lack of presence in the area, but in terms of control and possession it was very good. Attitude was top. It was a test, but we took away a lot of good things, especially a lot of important players.”
Problems for Smalling?: “He had a problem with his knee. It’s difficult to say now. We’ll have to see tomorrow.”
Objective in the test: “Last season we did our best to reach the final four. We prepared the game with the same attention and desire. We changed a lot, of course, but we are happy because it’s another competition to play in. It’s a trophy. For FC Porto there are no private games or games that can be played just because.”
