The coach reviews the Supertaça loss to SL Benfica

After Sporting CP's 0-1 defeat at the hands of SL Benfica in the Supertaça, coach Rui Borges gave a press conference at the Estádio Algarve to answer questions from journalists.

The game
"We were clearly the better side. Of all the games we've played against SL Benfica, this was the one in which we were the best for 90 minutes. The game was evenly matched for a few minutes in the second half, and the opponents took advantage of us losing possession. They were lucky with their shot on goal."

His forwards
"Harder and Suárez performed very well. You can clearly see Suárez's individual quality. Harder is in a process of growth. Both responded very well. You can see that Suárez is in sync with the team, but also that he lacks some movement, which is normal. For the short time he has had with us, he played very well."

The impact of the defeat
"It doesn't hurt anything. We're better and we continue to be the best. Today we demonstrated that. The opposition were lucky and deserve credit. If we continue like this, we'll be very happy throughout the season."

Sporting CP missing Viktor Gyökeres
"Sporting CP are only hostages to ourselves. I'm confident about the future, especially given the team's response in preseason. Today they gave an incredible, fantastic response, both individually and collectively. It left me very optimistic and confident. They demonstrated why they are two-time league champions."

The transfer market
"We know what we have identified and we're working on things. We're on our own path, and everything will come together in due time. I'm happy with the squad I have and the response they gave today. I'm happy with what they were able to do and we deserved to have left here with the trophy."

A lack of effectiveness
"We have to work and try to improve to be more effective and score more goals."

Evolution
"We need to improve our finishing and increase our fitness so we can be more intense for longer periods under pressure. The players clearly recognised what we had prepared for the game and did it for 90 minutes. They never gave up and never lost touch with the game. They always went after the game with great quality."