FC Porto remains alone at the top of the league after defeating Estrela da Amadora at home, in the 14th matchday (3-1), and Francesco Farioli praised “the players’ approach”, saying they “played a good game and gave a solid performance” with “a lot of passion and energy”. “The game went very well, I saw very positive things, great individual performances as well as collective ones. We are on the right track”, said the Italian coach before turning his attention to “the game against FC Famalicão for the Portuguese Cup”, scheduled for 20h45 this Thursday. 

No clean sheet
“When we concede a goal, it seems like the end of the world, but it's something that can happen and that we must avoid. It was their only shot on goal, at most there was only one more, otherwise we were good offensively, we didn't capitalize as much as we wanted, but we played a good game and gave a solid performance.”

Good feelings
“The game went very well. I'm not one to give compliments easily, but I think the players deserve it tonight because they approached the game very well. I saw some very good things, great individual performances as well as collective ones. Now we are focused on the Cup and we have to prepare for the game against FC Famalicão in the best possible way. We have already faced them in the League, we know they have a very organised team, so we have to change our mindset and start thinking about recovery and preparation for that game.”

On the right track
“Fatigue is natural with so many games, but I think we are managing the squad well, especially the effort of the players who have played more minutes. Without Nehuén Pérez, we only have one centre-back to rotate, and we have to pay more attention to these cases. In any case, I think everyone is in good shape, as we saw today. They put on a very good performance, with a lot of passion and energy. We're on the right track.”

Samu
“I'm very happy. He scored an important goal and had a good presence on the pitch. It was one of his best games in terms of how he linked up play. He was almost 100% effective in his support. It's something he's been working hard on to improve and it will make him a more complete striker.”

Goal conceded
“We are all alert. I don't like conceding goals, but it's part of the game. It was the first goal we conceded from open play and that says a lot.”

Reaction worthy of Porto
“The way Francisco Moura scored the goal conveyed a lot of desire and the team's celebrations say a lot about how this team always wants to play to the limit. We are very happy.”

The third goal
“I haven't seen the replay yet. I know Samu wanted it to be awarded to him, which shows how eager he is to score goals, but I really think he played his best game of the season today. The way he connected with the midfielders and centre-backs was very positive, and it's something we always demand of him, even though it doesn't come naturally to him. It proves that he is improving a lot in training. He has been working hard with André Castro and Lucho González in that regard, and it says a lot about his commitment to the team. Samu is one of the best examples of how our players try to improve every day.”

Without slowing down
“After the first goal, we could have scored two or three more. Normally when we score a goal, our opponents react and become more aggressive, but today that didn't happen and we didn't stop creating chances. I'm curious to know the actual playing time, because it was difficult to keep up the pace with certain stoppages, but, on our side, I don't feel that we slowed down.”

Aspects to improve
“There is a lot to improve. Consistency, for example. If we look back at the match against CD Tondela, I didn't like the first half at all, but in the second half we managed to pick up the pace. Against Malmö FF, we slowed down for five minutes and conceded a goal that could be decisive for the Europa League. There is a lot to improve. A few days ago, we had a conversation about this, because sometimes it's difficult to reflect the amount of work we do on a daily basis. There are always things to improve, we want to be perfect, but that's impossible, because the closer we get, the more we want to improve.”

Gabri Veiga
“He suffered a strong collision and felt some discomfort, but he's fine now. Tomorrow he should wake up feeling better, if all goes well.”

Best start in the League's history
“Our defensive solidity comes from the way we attack, the patience the players bring to the game and the way they approach it and try to control it with maturity. It's a good start, but in football it's not enough to start well, you have to finish better, and I know what I'm talking about, unfortunately. We have to keep going in the right direction, with the same desire. I'm becoming a bit cynical, because at the end of each game I'm already thinking about the next ones.”

Alan Varela
“We're managing the players' fatigue well. It was a contact injury, he left the pitch with his sock covered in blood. We'll have to reassess tomorrow.”

Key moves
“There are solutions we have to look for. There are moves that are key. The way teams approach the game against us is very conservative, and we feel compelled to try to manipulate the opponent's structure. We are evolving in that sense, we are improving in terms of timing, distances, and the connection between players.”

Blue and white pressure
“The pressure has been positive. In the first half, we managed to break up all of Estrela da Amadora's attacking moves after four or five passes at most. Borja, Samu and Pepê did very well in this regard, Rodrigo Mora put in an excellent performance both offensively and defensively, and Froholdt is always involved in this part of the game. It was a good, intense game, and pressure is always key and could be again against FC Famalicão.”

Alberto Costa on width
“There are many combinations for attacking, but there aren't many directions to explore. Football always gives us different scenarios to approach the attack, and the role of the fullbacks is becoming increasingly relevant because it forces opponents to press to cover the central part of the pitch. Alberto Costa, Martim Fernandes, Francisco Moura, and Zaidu are growing in that sense and can still be more involved. There is a lot of work to be done, even though our results are very positive.”

Vasco Sousa
“I wish him a speedy recovery. Yesterday he suffered a very serious injury and I want to send him a big hug and hope that he recovers quickly. He is a great player and we want to see him back on the pitch.”

Bednarek's fifth yellow card
“The yellow card wasn't really justified, but I think the referee already had his hand in his pocket while the ball was still rolling. It was definitely a foul, but it could never be a yellow card, at least from my point of view on the pitch. I may be wrong, as I often am. He won't be available for the next game and we have to find a solution. We have Dominik Prpić, Pablo Rosario or even Eustáquio, who has played in that position before and is a very intelligent player. We'll have to find a way to cover for his absence.”