After becoming the best team in the group stage of the Champions League, FC Porto again focus on Liga NOS, with matchday 13 having a trip to the Azores, to face Santa Clara (Saturday, 20h30, SportTV), currently ninth in the table. At the preview of the match played at Estádio São Miguel, Sérgio Conceição talked of the busy schedule at this point in the season and of the short preparation time, but admitted the Dragons are going for the 13th consecutive victory. The national champions are in the lead at the start of this round, with 30 points, two more than Sporting.

Prepared for the difficulties
“I’m expecting a difficult match. I believe Santa Clara has been having a good championship. Recently, they had a rough period, but they won away in the last match, playing in a difficult stadium. For the setting, the possible rain and even the wind, I believe it will be a difficult match. We are keeping an eye on that, and we prepared for this match in the best possible way, given the short time we had, and we want to win.”

The tactics
“We are a team that worries about tactics, but regarding set pieces, both on the attack and on the defence. We need to be aware that we will face a strong team in that regard. Just as we work on these attacking situations, we also work on the defence. It is part of the preparation for the match, on a difficult stadium, against a well-organized team. We will have our difficulties, but Santa Clara will have them as well, as they are facing a FC Porto that really wants to win these three points.”

Celebrating the goals
“I was quite vocal at Bessa and I used all my adrenaline. Tomorrow, I may even jump to the stands, I don’t know. I’ll do what I feel like in the moment.”

Unique and unmatched in Europe
“FC Porto has been giving a fantastic response in Europe and is representing Portugal like no one else, but that’s secondary sometimes to the decision-makers. And the decision maker is television. If you are asking me if I would play in different days, then yes. It is a tight schedule, and sometimes it’s hard for us to negotiate the matches. People want good shows, but, for that to happen, the players have to recover properly and be in shape. With this competitive setting, it’s difficult.”

Each match is a different story
“Football, in my opinion, is a constant rebirth. The next match may erase many of the good things you did. Tomorrow, we have another challenge and it’s very important for us to win. We play on Saturday and then again on Tuesday. We look at the competition match by match, and we are focused on our goals. The compliments do not affect my path and my whole.

The obligation to win
“We are in a good moment and we have been doing our duty of winning the match. Each match has something different that makes us work and correct some situations. We also face opponents, with quality, but we are always chasing perfection. As we work, we perfect every moment of the match. The emotional work is also important for the sixth moment of the match: talent.”

Praising as António Oliveira
“I deeply admire him, as he was my coach at FC Porto and in the national squad, and he showed me many things. Every player can dream of winning the domestic competitions, and in Europe, but that doesn’t concern me at the time. I saw a couple of statements where he says we have to be realistic. I’m glad it was Iker, as if it had been a kid saying the same things, we would want. It’s the difference between someone with experience.”

12 consecutive victories
“It’s positive, but it only gives us more responsibility to keep winning. We can’t look at that and remain relaxed with the satisfaction. If anything, it should make us focus. That’s the feeling I have, and I pass it to the team. The 13th consecutive victory coincides with the match against Santa Clara, who we really want to beat. We are chasing that victory because it is important for us and for our ultimate goal, which is to win the championship. We will have time to talk of that Champions League. Right now, our Champions League is the match against Santa Clara.”