There will be a classic match in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup, played in two hands. The match opposing FC Porto and Sporting was confirmed this Wednesday after the Dragons won in Vizela (3-1) in the quarter-finals of the competition. Matheus Uribe opened the scoreboard, the home team tied before halftime, but, in the second-half, Fábio Vieira made it count in a penalty and Evanilson sealed the match close to the end, guaranteeing the qualification to the next stage. After the match, the young Portuguese international talked of a first-half with quality, with redemption in the second-half, and of the importance of “never letting your guard down” when playing for FC Porto.

The resume of the match
“We knew it was going to be a difficult match, completely different from the one for the championship. We had to be true to ourselves, keep our style of play and be honest as a team. In the first-half, we were superior, we scored first, then we conceded, but we redeemed ourselves in the second-half and fortunately we won. We were far superior and deserved the win.”

Sérgio Conceição’s instructions at halftime
“He asked me, and the others, to be what I am, to make use of our quality and follow the team’s principles. That’s what my colleagues and I did. We’ve made it through to the next stage and we are very happy. I felt I could score a goal, as I was confident. If it was any other teammate, he would have scored too, I’m sure.”

Always prepared
“We can never let our guard down, we know that teams are always looking for the slightest mistake from us to take us out. They did just that, and were able to tie the match, but we corrected what we had to correct and we’re in the next stage.”

Full focus on Belenenses SAD
“Now is not the time to think about Sporting. We won today, tomorrow is a new day, and we still have the championship before that, with several matches ahead and we will certainly think about Sporting in due time.”