FC Porto went to Moreira de Cónegos to beat the local team 2-1, and Francesco Farioli praised the attitude of a group that “played with great determination” against “an opponent that defends with a low block, concedes very few opportunities” and had “won all their home games” until then. “After these four months of work, opponents are once again afraid of FC Porto, so we have to be proud”, said the Italian coach, for whom “this result was important” and it is now time to “prepare in the best possible way” for the match against SC Braga (Sunday, 20h30).

Difficult away game
“We knew the difficulties we would face playing against an opponent that had won all their home games, that defends in a low block and concedes very few chances. The pitch is smaller and it becomes more difficult. It was an important result and we have to move on.”

A team worthy of Porto
“We played with a lot of desire and I feel that, after these four months of work, our opponents are starting to fear FC Porto again. I notice that they drop their defensive lines and that's a good sign. We have to be proud that we are managing to scare our opponents. It was a good result, now we have to keep going.”

Eyes set on SC Braga
“We will have six days to analyse a team that is in excellent form in the league and in the Europa League. We have to be prepared for the next game, it will be difficult, but we have a week to prepare ourselves in the best possible way.”

A game of persistence
“We had to be patient and wait for the right moment to maximise our opportunities.”

The result of the process
“We are entering a phase where opponents are starting to fear FC Porto, which is very different from what we were used to, and that requires a lot of patience, quality and efficiency. It is something we can improve on, but we are in the process, and it is obvious that the process cannot be completed in just 16 weeks of work. We have to keep working.”

A new phase
“In the last four or five games, we faced teams that dropped back as soon as we started passing the ball, which leaves us less space and gives us fewer opportunities to play the way we were used to. It's time to find new solutions, but we have to be calm and patient to find the right moment. In these types of games, conceding a shot on goal can be fatal. We are in a new phase and we have to be happy that our opponents respect us, but we also have to work hard.”

Rodrigo Mora
“He’s going through a good momentum and has been working hard. Just this morning, I congratulated him on the way he’s been training. I’m very happy with the way he’s handled this phase, especially in recent days, because I’ve seen him with a different sparkle. This team needs Rodrigo. He came on today and made an excellent contribution, playing a key role in the second goal, and I'm happy with his performance. He had two or three excellent moments of ball recovery.”

Yann Karamoh
“He's in a process and will need time to get to the form we want. During the week, he'll go back to working with the B team to gain minutes and confidence. He'll be important for us.”

Kiwior in the wing
“Francisco Moura was very tired, he played 90 minutes a few days ago, and it was important to freshen up the game. Kiwior has already played in that position at Arsenal and for the national team, so he can perfectly cover that position. What we expect from defenders is quality and physicality.”

Penalty not given
“Both Francisco Moura and Alberto Costa attacked the opposition’s area numerous times, which proves that there is a great balance in terms of technical execution. When we face teams that defend so deep, we are confronted with different situations, the number of set pieces increases, and today they were decisive once again. Sometimes, after good results, we forget what happened in the game, and today there was a clear penalty in our favour that was not given.”

Deniz Gül
“He's a great man. I'm very happy with him, the way he comes on and the impact he's had. He deserves all the trust we place in him. He's been getting more and more minutes and I'm very happy that he helped us win the game.”