The coach talks about the 1-4 win over Rio Ave FC

Following the victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal over Rio Ave FC, coach Rui Borges attended the press conference in Vila do Conde and answered questions from journalists.

Analysis of the game
"It was a difficult victory. We had a tough first half, in which we conceded a goal very early. We knew what Rio Ave FC do well, because they have the players to do it. They play direct balls to their target men and, when they can't do that, they are very active on second balls. That happened throughout the first half. We had to take that risk. We lost some duels, which made it difficult, but we managed to improve towards the end of the first half. We scored the goal and were lucky with the second. The second half was uneventful, but it was all Sporting CP. We controlled the game, sometimes with slower ball movement but always focused, which was important. Even when a man down, Rio Ave FC are dangerous, because they are a very strong team in terms of fitness.”

Finishing second
"The group are happy because we were able to win again. Of course, then there's the added bonus of us moving into second again, but there's still one matchday. We need the support of our fans at home, which has been crucial throughout the season -even away from home. Gil Vicente FC will make our task difficult.”

Refereeing
"I don't comment on refereeing. The decisions were made this way and I believe they were judged correctly."

The team's current form
"Getting back into second place brings some motivation and tranquility for us. Having lost the opportunity to continue fighting for the title, and then losing second place, was difficult, but we managed to overcome that. It's important that we only depend on ourselves to secure second place in the last weekend of the season. I hope the players are even more motivated for the difficulty of the last game."

Zeno Debast and Georgios Vagiannidis
"Both were injured in training and are under evaluation. I can't give much more information. I believe we will have more news in the coming days."

The Taça de Portugal final
"Finishing second has to cross everyone's minds. The team breathes a little differently, but we have a difficult game, even though it's at home." "The energy in all the teams isn't at 100%, but I believe the group's motivation is high enough for us to finish in second place."

Ousmane Diomande's fifth yellow card
"There are two central defenders left for us, it's not hard to guess who will play in his place. Who will play on the right? We'll find a solution."