FC Porto started the Champions League on the right foot by beating Shakhtar Donetsk (3-1) in Hamburg, Germany, in the 1st matchday of Group H. For Sérgio Conceição, "it was essential to win the game and get the three points", if for nothing else, because the team continues "in an evolutionary process". "As in the last game of the championship, today there were things that were done well and others that didn’t go as well. It’s part of the constant evolution of the players within a team that we want to be stronger and stronger", the coach added.

Winning was essential 
"Winning and getting the three points was essential. It’s important to emphasize that not everything was bad and not everything is good now. We are in an evolutionary process and today it was a Champions League game. This is the best club competition in the world and we feel great pride and pleasure in representing a historic club like ours. As in the last game of the championship, today there were things that were done well and others that didn’t go as well. It’s part of the constant evolution of the players within a team that we want to be stronger and stronger."

The strategy for the match 
"It had to do with what we prepared for the game, with the way I see the opponent, but mainly with what our team can do and with the players available. My task is to set up the best strategy and try to win the game. I could play with a line of five or six, but I thought that for today's game other dynamics were important, dynamics that, for me, are essential with and without the ball. Today I liked the team more in terms of attack, because, on the defence, we allowed some things that we have also been allowing in the league games. In that regard, there is always work to be done to improve. On the attack, we often create situations and are not effective, but today we were more effective than we have been. We create goal situations in every game."

Nico González replacing Iván Jaime
"They have different features and offer different things to the game. I felt that Iván Jaime was a little tired, but the reality is that he only really started working two weeks ago. Nico takes on that space well and I decided on it, but I could have decided on a forward and lower Mehdi Taremi. I refreshed the wings as our fullbacks worked hard during the game. In that regard, the state of mind of the players is to go in and help, that's why I call them reinforcements when I send them during the game."

Injuries on the wings 
"João Mário was replaced because he was tired. Zaidu may have some issue and we felt he shouldn’t play the second half, but he will be reassessed when we get to Porto."