FC Porto lost 1-0 to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday at Estádio de Alvalade and is at a disadvantage in the semifinal of the Portuguese Cup. After a match that was already expected to be “very difficult,” Alan Varela recalled that there are still “90 minutes left in this round” and that they must “keep working.” The Argentinian midfielder believes that the Dragons can “do something more” at home and that, “by playing a good game,” it is possible to “turn the result around.” The upcoming classic against Benfica will also be “very tough,” but the Dragons are “prepared” and face each game “as if it were a final.”

A summary of the game
“We knew it was going to be a very difficult game because they have a great team that plays very well. It was a very competitive game. In the first half, we hardly conceded any dangerous plays from them and we created a few. They started the second half better, but they weren't better than us in the whole game. There are 90 minutes left in this round and we will continue to work hard. We still have the home game in front of our fans.”

The penalty that decided the classic
“Luck was not on our side. They scored a penalty, which would not have happened if the referee had called the foul on Pepê before that. The game would have remained 0-0. It was a bad decision by the referee, but there is nothing we can do about it. We tried until the end, but, unfortunately, we couldn't score.”

The second leg is at Estádio do Dragão
“The tie is still open and anything can happen. We're taking it one game at a time. We lost 1-0, but the truth is that we can do something more in front of our fans. If we play well, we can turn the result around. Today we played as equals and there wasn't much difference.”

Another classic, now for the League
“Now we're going to focus on the classic against Benfica. It will also be a very tough game, but we are all prepared for what lies ahead. We approach every game as if it were a final.”