After the end of the match FC Porto-Belenenses SAD (2-0), Sérgio Conceição stated that the team was “fully focused” on the match and “very intense and dynamic, with an excellent occupation of spaces and in finding solutions for the man on the ball.” As for the return of the fans to the stadium, the coach said: “Let me tell you, for a moment, closing my eyes, it felt as if the stadium was full”. The coach also praised Pepe, “a great professional, a real man”, explained that the decision to have Diogo Costa “has to do with what happened in the pre-season” and stated that João Mário’s “speed and technical quality make him a high quality fullback”.

Match analysis
“I think it was our organization, what we prepared for the match. We continued the good pre-season we had and I think there was full focus, concentration also, and then we had a group, not only the 11 that started, that is fully concentrated and with a lot of ambition to have a good championship and to fight for what has already belonged to us: the title. It has to do with the characteristics of the team. The players believed that, with intensity, with this way of playing, we run less and allow fewer opportunities to the opponent. Overall, the team was very intense and dynamic, with an excellent occupation of spaces and in finding solutions for the man on the ball. We created three, four goal situations before the goal, it was a good match with a good level, interesting when we had the ball, even more when we lost it because we didn’t allow anything, we played a complete match.”

The return of the fans to Estádio do Dragão
“I have to admit that, for a moment, closing my eyes, it felt that the stadium was full. It means that the people that came here had a huge passion, they are our members, our fans, it is for them that we do what we do and we want to give them back what they deserve, the titles. The fans are all we need, they are an asset, the players have to be prepared and I told them that the supporters are used to an incredible demand; we won, it is good and you can feel the passion and human warmth that exist at this stadium, which is unique. In the not so good moments, they will be pushing us, if we do what we did today, with an above average competitive attitude like today. It’s up to us to make the public an asset, they want to look at certain characteristics in the team and we can miss a goal, but we can’t fail to commit.”

The record achieved by Pepe
“Pepe is a great professional, a real man, there is little else to say about who Pepe is and what he represents for FC Porto. If he stays like this, he will play for some time, not only because of his daily work, which is fantastic, as he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. Sometimes, we get there at three, four, five in the morning and he is in his ice bath. It’s hard for a professional like this not to play until he's 40, because he’s tremendous. We know that age doesn’t determine who plays, it’s the daily work, and he is strong in that regard.”

The option for Diogo Costa in goal
“The option for Diogo Costa has to do with what happened in the pre-season, in training, as we can’t forget that some players arrived with the pre-season underway and I chose the 11 that I thought was best. Belenenses was always well organized, always aiming at counter-attacks, and we shouldn’t forget about them, but instead praise FC Porto.”
 
João Mário’s positive adaptation
“We work every day with João Mário, we know him well, he knows what we want for the match, and it wasn’t the first successful adaptation, Corona also did the fullback position at good level. It’s part of the daily work, it’s not overnight, it has to do with work and with the characteristics of a team like ours, especially in the championship, with the width and depth given by the fullbacks, and his speed and technical quality make him a quality fullback.”