“THEObviously I have a great knowledge of what the characteristics of players are. I also have a great knowledge of what Tiago Margarido is as a coach, as a person, because we have been friends for many years. The same also happens on the other side. Therefore, I do not believe that there are advantages in this sense”, stated Luís Pinto.
The coach admitted, however, the personal significance of the reunion with Vitória de Guimarães, the club with which he won the League Cup last season.
“It ends up being a special game, not because I’m facing Vitória for the first time, but because I meet again people I worked with, with whom I had the privilege of being happy together. And, obviously, it has that meaning, a club that I enjoyed representing and now a club that, obviously, I’m going to want to win”, he explained.
As for the game, the coach anticipated difficulties given the physical intensity and verticality of the team led by Tiago Margarido, who arrived in Barcelos after beating Marítimo 5-0 in the championship.
“I believe it will be an extremely challenging game and that it will present us with very different difficulties than the last games. It is a team that has a dimension in terms of physical intensity, in terms of looking for a very vertical game, which will force us to be at a very high level in our ability to be concentrated”, he analyzed.
After the defeats against FC Porto, in the championship, and Benfica, in the League Cup, Luís Pinto dismissed concerns about physical and mental exhaustion and valued the experience of playing several games in a short period.
“What Gil Vicente wants as a club is to be able to compete more often during the week, weekend, and the bases are created in some way. This path of many games in a short space of time is something that I, as a coach, think is very important for what the club wants in terms of growth”, he maintained.
The coach acknowledged some lack of offensive effectiveness, despite the opportunities created, arguing that the team must continue to work without increasing pressure on the players.
“Our players have quality, they have the ability to score more goals than we have scored. This is the reality. We have managed to have some offensive production and we are not managing to materialize it. We have to focus a lot on the process until we get there, and believe that there will be a day when things will start to flow”, he said.
Gil Vicente, ranked seventh, with 14 points, will host Vitória de Guimarães, 13th, with eight, on Monday at 8:15 pm, at Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, refereed by Hélder Carvalho, from the Santarém Football Association.
