FC Porto beat OGC Nice at Estádio do Dragão (3-0) in the fifth matchday of the Europa League, and Francesco Farioli said he was “happy with the performance” of a team that “played a very solid first half, scored an early goal and continued to manage the game with good pace and intensity.” In the aftermath of “a good victory”, the Italian coach acknowledged “the importance of the result” and “another clean sheet” and thanked “the fans who left work early to support the team”. 

90 minutes in short
“It was a very important result. The game was good, we had a very solid first half, the goal after just 18 seconds pushed us in the right direction, but we managed to continue to control the game with good pace, a lot of intensity and many chances. In the second half, we didn't control the ball the way we wanted to, our possession decreased, and that could have cost us a goal, so we have to be able to do better. Still, it was a good win, another clean sheet, and now it's time to prepare to host Estoril in the next 72 hours.”

The fastest goal at Estádio do Dragão
“It's a good sign, it's something we prepared for in training. It's good for the coaching staff and the players who train so hard for it.”

Deniz Gül and Samu side by side
“They did well, Deniz helped a lot during the game, he played a key role in the play that led to the penalty in our favour by connecting with Gabri Veiga, who made the final pass to Samu. I'm happy with everyone's performance.”

Gabri Veiga
“Today he did very well in everything he did. He scored two goals and was involved in the play that led to the penalty in our favour. We have to move on, change our mindset and prepare for the next game.”

The strength of the stands
“It's important to win. It's not easy to beat a French league team, which is why today's result was so important. Now we have three more home games and we'll need our fans. Let me thank them for being here for a game that started so early. A lot of people left work early to be here and I'm very grateful.”

A tight schedule
“To qualify, we need at least 15 points. It's a very long road. We are following our plan, game by game. We have a lot of games until the next Europa League match. In 72 hours, we will play Estoril again, here at home.”

Alan Varela 
“He took a hard blow to the knee and shin, and I thought it best to take him off. We'll assess him again tomorrow.”

The pressure from the opposition
“We prepared for the game thinking they would press us as they usually do, but they changed their strategy. Even so, we were prepared for various scenarios. We could have managed some situations better, but Gabri Veiga's second goal was good for Alberto to recognise that situation.”