The coach assesses the 3-0 win over Moreirense FC

At the end of Sporting Clube de Portugal's 3-0 victory over Moreirense FC, Rúben Amorim began his press conference by praising his players, especially for the work done in the first half.

"What I liked most was a phase in the first half when we had more difficulties. I liked the attitude of the players, who slowed play down when they had to do so. We have to settle the game down, not allow transitions and get into position. It was my favourite thing about tonight. They did what I said, despite the reaction from the fans in the stadium. It hadn't happened for a long time. I looked at them and thought we were growing. For better or worse, it's my choice, and it shows the team's maturity."

The coach then went on to analyse the match: "Moreirense FC did very well in the first half, they covered the spaces, but it became more difficult in the second half. We continued to play the same way, Moreirense FC's speed dropped a little , the team and the fans grew in strength. But we also had opportunities to go into the break ahead."

For Amorim, "the first half and the second half were two different games, both of which we must know how to play. Moreirense FC defended differently and that was enough for us to have some difficulty in the first ten minutes. Apart from the first ten minutes, we controlled the game well and had more space in the second half. The game seemed more fluid and easier also due to the scoreline."

Asked about the performance of Morten Hjulmand, who scored a goal, the coach expressed that he was very satisfied.

"I really liked his showing. He made a lot of tackles and he was very intelligent. He's going to improve a lot physically. He's going to increase his goal tally because he appears in the right places a lot, and he even hit the post before scoring. He has great ability with the ball, and that's his main role at Sporting CP. He's going to grow a lot," he assured.

Regarding Viktor Gyökeres, Rúben Amorim recalled that "he had several clubs that he could have gone to, and we must give credit to Hugo Viana and his connection with the president and the Board of Directors. They deserve the praise. I'm very happy that he runs a lot because it's the only thing that is mandatory here. I'm interested in them always breaking fitness records because it shows that they want to grow," he said.

Regarding Pedro Gonçalves, Amorim assured that he "gives everything and plays in all positions, which greatly harms him, even with the national team. I'm very proud to be his coach. He gives me an understanding of the game and helps the team. It's very difficult to have your best goalscorer do that, and he does."

Finally, the coach spoke again about the midfield.

"We talked a lot about Morten [Hjulmand], but Morita played very well. His growth has made him very complete. There's no definitive pairing in the midfield. It depends on the moment and the game. They are players with different characteristics and we are changing things. There will be rotation because there has to be or we won't be able to do well in all the competitions. It's a competitive and quality squad, and everyone has to play to be better in the future."