Jorge Jesus after his side's 4-0 win against Nacional

Although surprised by such a dominating final score against Nacional this Saturday, Jorge Jesus highlighted his team's quality in what was an important three points in the title race.

“If you had asked me if we would win by four goals, then I would have said no. Nacional are a good team and in terms of strategy they have one of the best coaches in our league. Not only that, but this pitch is hard to play on as well", said the Sporting coach at the final whistle, adding: "We had a bit of trouble in the first-half in the one-on-one situations, but scoring helps inject confidence into the lads. In defence I thought we were really strong. Rúben Semedo and Coates played really well. We won, which was the objective, even it it was by half a goal. Sometimes teams aren't at their best, but Sporting does not know how to play badly."

Jorge Jesus' pre-match press conference ahead of trip to Madeira

Jorge Jesus was with the press this Friday to share his thoughts on what he believes will be a tough trip to Madeira. Affirming that his side will guarantee the full three points, the Sporting coach also dismissed the opportunity to comment on today's encounter between Benfica and FC Porto.

“This will be one of those typically difficult matches. Nacional are not an easy team to face and they have a coach that is doing a good job, but Sporting always has to play for the win. That is how we have looked at it since the start of the season and that is why we are in first. We want to keep in the fight for the title and to show we can come away with the points form these kinds of matches. Whatever happens between Benfica and FC Porto, what matters is that we win in Madeira", opened Jesus, going on to reveal that Naldo, Paulo Oliveira, Tobias Figueiredo, Jefferson and Bruno Paulista will all miss out through injury: "I wouldn't say we are having issues with injuries, because in 21 league matches, as well as in other competitions, we have Naldo, Jefferson and Paulo all fit. It is funny that injuries have only really hit centre-backs, at Benfica an FC Porto was well as Sporting."

In parallel, the Sporting coach added that the pressure of battling for the league title is also being felt elsewhere and that recent results have done little to take away from his side's confidence: "Against Rio Ave we had a lot of chance, but football can be like that. The fact that we have drawn two games doesn't mean that the team has lost quality and we played well in our last game. We have won a lot of games and have been consistently at the top of the league. We believe in our capacity to stay there."

To finish, Jesus also touched on William Carvalho's current form: "He hasn't been at the same level as say Adrien or João Mário who you also mentioned here today and we know why. It has nothing to do with his contract or his behaviour. He was out of competition for three months and he is looking for his best form, but we believe in him and we are counting on his input."

Nacional-Sporting CP will kick off at 18h30 on Saturday, in Estádio da Madeira.

Jorge Jesus on his side's draw with Rio Ave

While frustrated by his side's ineffectiveness in front of goal Monday night, Jorge Jesus highlighted the quality of his side's performance against an in-form Rio Ave outfit.

“It was a good game against a good team, but we did enough to win. We had various chances, but we couldn't make the most of them. Rio Ave deserve credit, because they defended well and hit us on the break. We knew that it would be hard and this is how the season will be until the last day, with lots of points won and lost", said the Sporting boss in his post-match interview, adding a word on the debuting pair of Sebastián Coates and Hernán Barcos: “Coates showed that he is an excellent player in his very first match. He looked really secure, showed experience and was strong. With a bit of confidence he will score as well. We were solid in defensive, which is positive. What wasn't so positive was that we failed to win three points."

To finish, Jesus dismissed the suggestion of anxiety following Benfica's result et the weekend: "That kind of question doesn't exist for the players in the top teams. They are prepared for that sort of thing and it just washes off them. We can do the math after every match, but what we want is the capacity to be in first at the end of the season."

Jorge Jesus ahead of Monday's hosting of Rio Ave

Jorge Jesus was with the press on Sunday afternoon for the Rio Ave pre-match press conference. While brushing off the idea of extra pressure coming from his side being provisionally in 2nd in the table, the Sporting coach was cautious to alert to the quality of Monday's opposition.

“Rio Ave are one of the best teams in the league. They are hard to play against tactically and how they play is well drilled, because they have had the same coach for a while now. We know what Rio Ave are worth and we will have to be in good form to win", opened the Alvalade boss, continuing: “We are in a position where we are the intruders in relation to our two rivals. We have said since the beginning of the season that we want to be in the fight, but we never thought we would be in first at this stage of the season. We are really proud for having been in first for so long and it shows the quality of the squad."

Explaining that Jefferson and Naldo have not been declared fit to face Rio Ave, while revealing that William Carvalho is in with a shout, Jesus also spoke about Coates, Barcos and Teo Gutiérrez: “Coates and Barcos haven't been with us for long and they are getting to know how the team works. Coates is pretty much match fit, while Barcos played a couple of weeks pre-season in China. They could be both included in the squad. Teo is focused. He arrived a bit later, which I authorised due to the injury he had. He is stable physically and he will be in the squad tomorrow is nothing happens in the meantime."

Guaranteeing that he has enough attacking options, despite the exit of Montero and Tanaka, Jorge Jesus dismissed comments on Carrillo and reflected on Octávio Mochado's statement on refereeing after last week's victory over Académica: “It isn't easy to be a referee in Portugal. We have good referees here, but everything is analysed here after the game, when it is easy to give out opinions. It is is a bit like the football team: when they don't play well, they are critised."

Sporting CP-Rio Ave will kick off at 19h00 on Monday, in Estádio José Alvalade.

Jorge Jesus ahead of his side's hosting of Académica

"Of course Académica will want to win points in Alvalade, it is normal. We will face a team that will play the way they can and we will try to find as much space as we can", Affirmed Jorge Jesus in his pre-match press conference this Friday afternoon, ahead of what he expects to be a tricky hosting of Académica.

"It will be a hard game, but hopefully we will have the capacity to open up the Académica defence, which is our main objective on the way to getting the win", added the Sporting boss, going ton to draw similarities with results against Boavista, U. Madeira and Tondela: "You can find some reasons there, but nothing is that certain. If we look at each game individually and each team for where they are in the league, then it would be harder to face teams that are higher up the table, but that isn't the case in practice."

Accepting that Jefferson will miss out through injury, Jesus went on to speak about the recent arrivals of Sebastián Coates and Ruben Semedo, as well as the possible signing of a goalkeeper: "Coates has a few games under his belt with Sunderland, which means he is in shape. From that point of view there is no problem, but knowing how we play is different. He might take a while to adapt, but it will come with training. If everything is normal with Ruben in training tomorrow then he will be in the the squad. We really liked him in the pre-season and he has been developing well, which is why he is back. Marcelo is close to playing somewhere else, but nothing is true until he signs a contract. We aren't looking for a goalkeeper now, but who knows what can come up."

To finish, Jesus spoke about the possible suspension of Slimani: "It is something I won't say a lot about today, because he is focused on scoring and I don't want him reading something said by his coach. What I will say is that he is an excellent player who is fundamental for the team. He has developed a lot and he is in great form right now."

Sporting CP-Académica will get underway at 20h45 on Saturday, in Estádio José Alvalade.

Jorge Jesus on his side's win in Arouca

Jorge Jesus used Tuesday's League Cup encounter to give a run out to his squad this Tuesday night, in Sporting's 1-0 win over Arouca.

“We can take two positives away from this to be honest. The win and the fact that some young players came on. You can train all you want, but it is matches that give confidence and fitness to get us ready for the league run in. We managed the squad in Portimão and that allowed us to go to Paços de Ferreira and push really hard. We wanted to be in the semi-final of this competition and we did everything we could to do that", said the Sporting coach at the final whistle, adding: "The League Cup is an important competition which I have already won five times.Getting into the final is really nice, but most teams are obviously focused on the league."

To finish, Jorge Jesus also tackled a question on the transfer window: "I am not going to speculate. I said we wanted a defender and our priority was the return of Ruben Semedo. We reached a deal with V. Setúbal and he trained at the Academy today."

Jorge Jesus ahead of tomorrow's visit to Arouca

O Sporting will travel to Arouca tomorrow for a 18h30 kick off, in League Cup Group C. Although mathematically possible to secure a place in the next round, Sporting require Portimonense to lose in Paços de Ferreira and for goal difference to turn in favour.

“We know what happens depends on other results and we have to get a better goal different than Portimonense, so of course we want to win. In Portimão we didn't want to put this match at risk. We still have a chance and we are going to take it. I will included four or five players from the B team, who will bring a bit of balance", affirmed Jorge Jesus in an exclusive interview with Sporting TV, adding: "I don't know what team Arouca will use, because they have no chance of getting into the next round. It is going to be a competitive match, but it definitely won't be Arouca's best team because they have other priorities. What matters is that we at least win, then we will see what happens with Portimonense."

Jorge Jesus went on to explain further his inclusion of players from Sporting B, including Gelson Martins and Matheus Pereira: "This is their time to adapt to how we play. It will help them be ready in the future. They are still young lads and I believe a lot of them can go on to do what Gelson and Matheus are doing. Honestly I didn't know a lot about Sporting's youth players, although I knew some from the national team, like Gelson for example. I was surprised to come across players like Gelson and Matheus, with such quality and potential to play for Sporting."

Asked about Adrien and Gelson Martins' time with the club doctors this week, Jesus proved untroubled. "Adrien doesn't look too bad, but Gelson is a bit different. He is coming on, but we have been limiting his playing time because he isn't fully ready yet", explained Jesus, going on to add a word on Slimani's impervious form: "He has a lot of potential and we want to help him. We is doing a great job individually and collectively and we believe in him."

The January transfer window is still wide open and there has been no shortage of links with Alvalade, however Jesus finished with a word of praise for his currently available squad: "We can work more with the squad as time goes on and get more quality out of the lads. The players have come on really quickly in six months and they deserve praise for that. It will be a hard run in at the end of the season and we will have to be ready. When I see we, I don't only mean the players. I mean everybody, because our rivals are going to try and unsteady us."

Jorge Jesus on his side's showing in Paços de Ferreira

Speaking with the press at the final whistle on Saturday night, Jorge Jesus highlighted the quality of his side's performance in securing an expectedly tough three points.

“The match was as we expected it to be. We thought it would be hard and it was. We only came away winners tonight because we played really well against a well disciplined team. We were winning at half-time and I thought we really started to dominate in the last fifteen minutes of the first-half. In the second-half we tried to do pretty much the same thing and we scored a second. Paços pulled one back, but we responded and steadied the ship. You only win here if you play quality football", said Jesus, adding that he was unaware of Benfica's result at kick off: "I didn't know and I didn't want to know. When I go to play all I think about is my team. That is what we all did and we don't take decisions based on what our rivals are doing."

The Sporting boss went on to highlight the performances of the in-form Slimani, Adrien and João Mário: "Slimani had a good game and he is coming along really well in terms of individual technical quality. I have worked a lot with him individually and he believes in himself. He is a great character to work with. He always believes we can win and he really has a champion's mentality. As for Adrien, I took him off because he was holding his thigh a bit, but it looks like it was just a knock. He hardly trained at all this week, but I used him and he carried the team forward in the first-half. He is having a great season. João Mário has adapted really well to oru playing style. He isn't a player who covers a lot of ground, but he plays like Bryan Ruiz and that allows us to use two players who can defend and attack really well. That gives a lot of freedom to players around him and makes it hard to mark us up."

Jorge Jesus on his side's current form head of visit to Paços de Ferreira

Jorge Jesus sat down with the press this Friday afternoon to share his thoughts in the build up to Liga NOS matchday 19, which will see Sporting travel to Paços de Ferreira.

“Playing in Mata Real is never easy, it is always complicated here. We will be facing a good team who are set up well and who are having a good season. We are in first and we want to defend that. We are starting the second half of the season now and we want to win. We are capable of doing that, but we have to be humble about it and recognise that Paços are a good team", opened the Sporting coach, before revealing that while Gelson Martins and Adrien did not train during the week, they could still feature.

“We are in first and our two main rivals are behind us, one by five points and the other by two. We don't know how the second half of the season will go, but we know that we only few two and lost one in the first half. We won 86% of the points that we could have", added Jesus, before answering to a question about his team having conceded the least number of goals in the league: "It is a safety net for us and I hope that carries on. We have confidence in our defence and the numbers show that we are on the right track. The whole team is responsible for defending and we have been organising ourselves well."

The Alvalade boss went on to speak about William's current form, as well as the January transfer market: "William was out for three months. He is looking to find his way and we are happy with what he has been doing. Maybe he hasn't shown what he is capable of yet, but he helps out in defence as well. This is a tough time for a lot of teams, Sporting included, because players are moving around. However we are used to being connected with a lot of players. Some names are being brought up that everybody knows we don't have the capacity to bring in. We know who we want and we already have them."

P. Ferreira-Sporting will get underway at 20h45 on Saturday, in Estádio Capital do Móvel, Paços de Ferreira.

Jorge Jesus on his side's loss in Portimão

Jorge Jesus took a moment to speak with the press at the end of this Tuesday's League Cup loss to Portimonense.

“It was a game that didn't go well for us. Portimonense are a good team with a lot of technical and individual quality, but they also were a bit lucky. there scored from their only shot in the first-half and then from a penalty. We wasted a lot of chances in the second-half, including a penalty as well. Football can be like this and you are leaving yourself open to this sort of thing if you don't score", said the Alvalade boss, adding: "We would have liked to win for all of our fans who live down in the Algarve."