FC Porto have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Nottingham Forest, after beating VfB Stuttgart 2-0 on Thursday at Estádio do Dragão in the second leg of the round of 16. One of the pillars of FC Porto’s defence, Jan Bednarek, acknowledged that the blue and whites had to “defend well” against a quality opponent who “wanted to win”, but “at the end of the day we kept a clean sheet and won 2-0”. “We’re still a long way from Istanbul, but we’re taking it step by step and game by game to try and reach the final. It’s a very competitive competition, but we’re prepared for anything, as we showed today,” added the Polish centre defender.

The numbers don’t lie
“It was a difficult game, especially in the first half. They played well and we had to defend well, which is what we did. The opposition wanted to win and we had to be strong in defence, which is what happened today. We respected their quality, they’re third in the Bundesliga, and it’s normal that they had more possession and more chances. We had to accept that and stay calm, but at the end of the day we kept a clean sheet and won 2-0.”

The art of defending
“We were very strong at crucial moments in the match, particularly in one-on-one situations. It was a test for us to prove that we can defend deeper, and we ended up playing a different game to the ones we usually play in Portugal. We’re delighted not to have conceded any goals and to be progressing in the competition.”

Game by game
“We’re still a long way from Istanbul, but we’re taking it step by step and game by game to try and reach the final. It’s a very competitive competition, but we’re prepared for anything, as we showed today.”

Thiago Silva’s 1,000th game
“It’s a great achievement for him. He’s a great player and it’s a privilege to play alongside him. He communicates a lot and gives us confidence and experience. I’m not exactly young anymore, but I can learn a lot from him. He’s an example to us all for the way he still plays so well at this level. As a club and a team, we’re grateful to have him with us.”