The coach speaks of a change in mindset and asks the players to focus entirely on the return to the championship.
Rui Borges talks about switching focus from the Champions League to the Portuguese league, on the eve of the “difficult” duel with Estrela da Amadora, this Saturday (8:30 pm), at the Jose Gomes Stadium, in a match of the 29th round of the League.
What are your expectations for the visit to Reboleira?
I expect a difficult game, considering everything that has happened and what will happen this month, given the demands of the game we had [against Arsenal], historically it’s a difficult ground. They are a team that has had a difficult end to the season and is fighting for points. All these circumstances lead me to believe, and I have no doubt, that it will be a difficult game for us. Now we also have a lot to gain, we have to follow our path, we have to achieve a victory, we know we will have to fight hard to achieve it. Considering what Estrela is like and what Sporting will be like, it will be a very competitive game.
Switching gears from the Champions League quarter-finals to the League.
“For us, it’s about focusing as much as possible on our daily routine to be able to switch gears, to a different game, but the difficulty is great. Even though they are completely different opponents, the difficulty will be significant. Now, what we can do on a daily basis is to connect with them, to make them understand and see that we are continuing on our path, that our main objective is the championship. That is our Champions League, I’ve said it several times, some players have said it too, so that’s our focus, that’s what our path must be. Regarding the coaching staff, it’s a bit like that, connecting them, in the demands of training, in the demand to understand that the game will be of a high degree of difficulty because of the historical context of playing in Amadora.
Strategically speaking, what do you expect from Estrela?
They are a very strong team on the counter-attack, with fast attacks, quick players, and technically gifted in the final third, although coach João [Nuno], since he arrived, has been trying to create a possession-based team. They have good dynamics, a very good idea of the offensive process, a team that wants to have the ball, wants to play, but, individually, they are lacking at times. I think they are the second or third team that uses the most long passes, precisely for that reason, to look for their attacking players who are fast and technically gifted and can decide many games in one-on-one situations. That’s what we need to understand. They are also a very athletically strong team, with very tall players, the average height is also high, on a pitch that makes that physical aspect important. Within all of this, we have to be aware of the difficulty of the game and be committed. If we aren’t, we will have difficulties, even more so than we expect, and we don’t want that. We want to win to continue fighting for our main objective.
Could Estrela’s long passes and the yellow-carded central defenders lead him to change his defensive structure?
I’m not looking at that; both players are available. Considering both physical and strategic management, we’ll try to field our best players to win. I’m not paying attention to yellow cards; it’s pointless to think about the next game if we don’t win tomorrow’s. Therefore, we really want to win tomorrow, and in terms of strategy and physical condition, we’ll see who we choose.