FC Porto won the first three points in the fight for Europa League, after beating Young Boys 2-1, at Estádio do Dragão, in the first matchday of Group G. At the end of the match against the Swiss champion, Sérgio Conceição admitted he preferred the first-half over the second, but what mattered was achieved: the victory.

Important to start with a victory
“I feel we started well, against a team that hadn’t lost yet this season. Young Boys is a physically strong team that aims at a very direct attack. Sometimes, a long ball can surprise us, as in the play that gave the penalty. It was a good first-half from us, even if not great. We reacted to the tie well and scored the second goal. We could have even scored more before the break. The sacrifice and commitment were good, and the two kids, Romário Baró and Fábio Silva, did well when they went in. We have a strong group that believes in what we do. It’s good that we got the three points, as we faced a good opponent tonight. It was an important victory, and this victory is how we wanted to start the competition.”

The choices for this match
“I realised Luis Díaz wasn’t well and so I sent in Romário Baró, to get some balance in the midfield, where we were letting them too free. We are starting the season and we have some new players. It’s normal that they have to know each other better and get their routines. It’s still September and it’s normal that some players have been playing more, but it’s also normal when you play every three days. I sent in the strongest team to win the match.”

Fábio Silva debuting in European competitions
“I sent in Fábio Silva because I know his work capacity and how he moves. He was able to create problems and I have full confidence in him. Zé Luís was not at 100% so I sent in Fábio Silva instead.”