The coach rues imperfections against SC Braga

Following the 1-1 draw with SC Braga, Sporting CP coach Rui Borges analysed the match in his press conference.

Analysis
"It was a competitive game. We struggled to open up the play in our favour and we misplaced some passes. We gradually lost composure and individual confidence as a result. In the second half, we tried to improve how we went at SC Braga's points of reference, not let them think too much and gain confidence -something we lacked at the end of the first half. We were better in this regard, but we lacked clarity, energy, and proactivity to anticipate attacking behaviours. We were losing a lot of balls, and this creates a lack of individual confidence, which causes the team to lose some energy as well. At the end of the game, we were punished."

The result
"It ended up being fair. SC Braga had some chances, and so did we. Alisson [Santos] gave us what we wanted: more aggression in our search to reach the second third, and we created some chances. But we lacked the ability to finish off the various chances we had, even after the equaliser. Before that, we had three or four chances we could have finished off better.

In the second half, SC Braga only had one chance, in which Rui [Silva] made a good save, and also [Rodrigo] Zalazar's shot, but considering everything the opposition contributed to the game, it ended up being a fair result."

The battle for the top spot
"I’m only concerned about Sporting CP. I'm looking at what I have to do to improve my team, because in the last two league games, we fell a little short of what we wanted."

The team’s attitude
"It wasn't just today; it happened at Estoril as well, although not in the past few games. Our team have their own characteristics, and at times, it seems we're a little out of sync. We had some difficulty combating SC Braga's man-to-man marking, which made us a little cautious.

Francisco Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves struggled to find spaces. They are players who make a difference, and when they're not at full strength, we lose some aggression in the final third. That's why I moved Alisson [Santos] to the wing, because he gives us acceleration and aggression."

A lack of energy
"To be competitive, we need to have the right energy. It's that simple. I made the substitutions when I thought it best. It was my decision, that's all."

Using multiple players
"João Simões was left out for tactical reasons. Ousmane Diomande is coming off a long-term injury, he's trying to get on the pace, and it wouldn't make sense to use him only as a last resort. We'll try to use some time for him to catch up during this break."

Difficulty beating more competitive opponents
"I look at the game and at who the opponents are, not whether they're considered stronger or weaker. All games are difficult, and this is becoming increasingly evident. Whether we're strong or weak is subjective. The games we’ve lost this season were all competitive, and today we drew, punished by a very specific move. Therefore, in my attempt to improve, I only look at each game and see what I can improve to try to win it."

The team’s lowest possession of the season
"SC Braga dropped many players back in the first stage of the build-up, leaving our midfielders with some doubts. The three attackers also came up against the three defenders, and we were a bit lost trying to figure out the timing to shut that down.

More than that, it was important to understand the distance we were leaving to the reference players, and this led to us losing more passes and not keeping the ball as long as we desired. We had a lot of difficulty getting through their man-to-man marking. We weren't very proactive, we let the defenders anticipate play, and we lost a lot of balls. The team were losing confidence, and it's a snowball effect."

Absences for internationals
"The national team managers are the ones who make decisions, and we have to deal with that. I'd rather not have just five or six players, but we have to adapt. I'll meet the players a day or two before the Taça de Portugal match, but I have to find ways to make Sporting CP stronger and the players, individually, more available and fresh.

It's up to me to focus only on what I can control, because in these last two league matches, our quality of play was very inconsistent. In some ways, this result is more difficult to handle, because I would like to work on the next game with everyone now. That's what drives me."