FC Porto secured their ninth victory in nine official matches by beating Red Star 2-1 in the second matchday of the Europa League, and Francesco Farioli praised “the spirit and desire” of a team that knew how to manage “a different scenario from what they are used to” and achieved “another important victory in the final minutes”. “There is still a lot of work ahead, but the result was positive and the team performed well”, said the coach, who is focused on “continuing to improve” to face the challenges of a “very demanding Europa League”. 

Positive result
“The spirit was there. In the first half, before the goal, the game was always under control with and without the ball against an opponent who plays differently from what we are used to, and we managed it well. There is still a lot of work ahead, but the result was positive and the team performed well.”

The way forward
“The action leading up to the second goal gives a good impression of what we want to be. We are far from perfect, but the spirit and desire were there. We had the fantastic contribution of Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt, and Pepê knew how to drive the ball forward and pass it to Rodrigo Mora. That is the image that stays with us.”

Serbian aggressiveness
“Until they scored, we had the game under control, but it was difficult to play against an opponent who marked all our players man-to-man until the end, except for the centre defenders. It was a different scenario from what we are used to, it took us longer to get used to it, but I think the game was positive overall. I have a good feeling, but I need to review the game to get a better understanding.”

Mora in the centre of the attack
“At the beginning of the season, I had already said that Rodrigo Mora could play in more than one position. When Deniz Gül started to feel some pain, I felt it was a good opportunity to try Mora as a false 9 and use Gabri and Victor's runs a little more, and then the goal ended up coming in a different dynamic. I think Rodrigo Mora can cover several options and, in addition to the goal, he had two or three great moments, especially when he played higher up the field. It was good, and the goal rewarded his performance.”

European numbers
“We have to qualify first, and we still have a long way to go. At Ajax, I started with three wins and then only managed to qualify in the last game. We have to move forward, of course it's an important result, the second to come in the last minutes of the game. We have to keep improving because the Europa League is very demanding and we have to be prepared."

Eyes on the classic
“It's time to get back to training and starting tomorrow we'll think about our next opponent.”

Eight changes to the starting eleven
“The team's response was very good. We made eight changes from the previous game, but in fact we had at least seven players on the field who had already been starters. It was the first start for Ángel Alarcón and Dominik Prpic, as well as Deniz Gül, who has been getting better and better, and Eustáquio, who is a remarkable human being and player, a leader and an example in everything he does. He had been ill in recent days and did everything he could to be ready to play today. He managed the 90 minutes with a fantastic spirit and helped us finish the game the way we wanted.”

Was the result better than the performance?
“I'll review the game tonight and only tomorrow will I have a formed opinion. I felt that we did everything to win the game. The second goal came from a great team effort to recover the ball two or three times, and we ended up with three players in front of the goalkeeper. The first big chances of the game were ours. We played against a great opponent, and I have to give them credit for that, but I believe that, except for the goal we conceded, it was clear that the team did everything to win the game.”

The importance of the fans
“We work every day to win games. Life isn't about records, it's about hard work, and that can help us get closer to winning games, but we have to be lucky enough to find a group with this spirit and desire. The extra support we received tonight from the fans was very important, and we want it to continue, especially now that FC Porto has signed an agreement with Colectivo Ultras 95 and Super Dragões. I believe this will help us a lot during the rest of the season.”

Statements by José Mourinho
“We deserve to talk about tonight's game. Starting tomorrow, we will prepare for the game against our next opponent with all due respect.”

Prpic, Alarcón, Gül, and Eustáquio
“I would like to highlight Prpic's performance. It was his first start, and he was up against a top-level striker, but he managed it well, played a very physical game, and was very confident with the ball. I'm very happy for him and for all the others who hadn't been starters yet. Ángel Alarcón played a great game, paying close attention and showing good intuition with the ball. Deniz Gül continues to evolve, and as for Eustáquio, I think I've already shown my gratitude for what he's done for the team in every training session.”

Unconditional support
“The reaction was good, and let me tell you, it was the first time in my life that I saw an entire stadium applaud after the team conceded a goal. Today that happened, and it brought us back into the game and helped us forget about the goal we conceded and continue playing. This says a lot about the bond that is growing between the team and the fans, and we want to continue on this path. The more we give them, the more they will give us back, and so far, the fans have been so supportive. This stadium is always electric, and it's a privilege for all of us.”

The visitors' strategy
“We had one of our central defenders push up with the ball, three against three in the midfield, and whenever they won the ball back, they played it long into the space behind. That's how they set up the game, and it worked well. There were moments when we could have caused more damage, but we knew we might encounter this scenario and we're prepared to face it again.”