FC Porto hosted and beat Malmö FF (2-1) on Thursday at Estádio do Dragão in matchday 6 for the Europa League, reaching 13 points in the competition. Feeling that “the 2-0 at half time was not enough for what we were doing”, Stephen Eustáquio spoke of “a good victory” and believes that “the team did well”, but that it was avoidable to have conceded “a somewhat bizarre goal” in the last play of the match. “We were sad about that goal, because everything is important for us to qualify directly”, said the number 6.

The 2-0 at half time was not enough
“We didn't start well and the first clear chance was theirs, because we let them, but then we got back into the game, created chances and managed to score. Even so, I felt that 2-0 at half time was not enough for what we were doing. In the end, we conceded a somewhat bizarre goal, which came about because of our lack of concentration. We were sad about that goal, because everything is important for us to qualify directly. It was a good win and the team did well.”

The importance of qualifying directly to the round of 16
“It's very important to finish in the top eight, as that would give us direct qualification and avoid us having to go through the play-offs. With a schedule as busy as ours, that would be vital, as it would give us more time to rest and also to work harder. This year, I think more points will be needed for direct qualification, so even goals are important. SC Braga is ahead of us because they have one more goal, for example, but we still have two games to go and we want to win both.”

Set pieces
“Set pieces are something we pay a lot of attention to. They have brought us a lot of joy in the league, but the goal we conceded today was avoidable. It's more a mental issue than a physical one, as it didn't happen because we were tired. It happened and we were sad, because 2-0 was better than 2-1, but the most important thing was the victory. We have players in incredible form and the team is also doing very well.”

Estrela da Amadora is coming
“We're going to play at home again and, with the help of our fans, everything becomes easier.”