FC Porto consolidated their position at the top of the table with a 2–0 victory over CD Tondela on Sunday at Estádio do Dragão, on matchday 30 of the Portuguese League. After the “missed penalty” and the “three or four good chances” wasted in the first half, Francesco Farioli saw the blue and whites adopt “a much better approach” in the second half, in which they built a result that left him “very happy”. “It’s just three more points and one game fewer,” continued the Italian coach, for whom “there’s no point looking at numbers right now”: “We can’t lose focus and we have to keep working as we have done so far.” For now, the focus turns to the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals against Sporting (Wednesday, 20h45), at Estádio do Dragão.

The 0-0 at half-time was misleading
“In the first half, apart from the missed penalty, we had three or four good chances that we didn’t convert. In the second half we had a much better approach and the truth is that the goal right at the start was a key moment. I’m very happy with this result.”

Individual contributions to a collective effort
“Pablo [Rosario]’s introduction was very important, but it’s not about one player; it’s a team effort from everyone. [Victor] Froholdt also had a huge impact on the game, as did Thiago [Silva] when he had to come on with barely any warm-up. It was a team effort and the result is a team one.”

The title race
“At this stage, really, it’s just three more points and one game fewer. Now we have to shift our focus to the Portuguese Cup. I’ll watch today’s derby to analyse the match and prepare for Wednesday’s game in the best possible way.”

Nothing is won yet
“We can’t lose focus and we have to keep working as we have done so far. We know where we want to go and the steps we need to take. There are still many games to play and the next one is in the Portuguese Cup. After that, we’ll prepare for the weekend’s match, but always taking it one game at a time, with our focus always at its peak. There are no easy games and there’s no point looking at numbers right now.”

The second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals
“On Thursday, despite being a man down from the fifth minute, the team spirit was fantastic. At this stage, the biggest challenges are to replicate the high standards of our performances and maintain the team spirit. We’re going to play a big game at home and we’re 0-1 down against a fantastic team, but on the other hand we know where we want to go. I’m sure the fans will give us the right boost, but we have to be fully focused on the game every second.”

Match summary
“It was a positive match just a few days after we were knocked out of the Europa League in a game where we were down to ten men from the start. Today we put in a good performance. We went into half-time tied, but we had several chances, as well as the penalty. We scored immediately after the break and that was key to controlling the game and finishing with a win.”

The derby in Lisbon
“I was in the dressing room finalising the last details for the match, but we heard the celebrations and I think the players realised what had happened, but the priority was our match. I’m happy with the way my players managed the game, the way they linked up and understood what they had to do. We knew the tension was there, but we could only control our own result and I think we did well with a mature performance from the first to the last minute.”

Substitutions at half-time
“The first half was positive. The 0–0 perhaps didn’t reflect how the game was going, but apart from the penalty, we still had two or three great chances that were saved by the opposition goalkeeper. We put in a good performance, just as we wanted, and my assessment is positive. Bringing on a few players helped us change the pace. Pablo Rosario had a very significant impact on the game and on both goals thanks to his initiative and willingness to help the team.”

The classic for the Cup
“I’ll be analysing their game, as it will be important for us. As far as spirit is concerned, we’ll have two teams both keen to progress. We’re playing at home and we want to play all our cards to move forward. I believe we have the opportunity to turn the result around. We don’t know how they’ll perform, but we can control the spirit with which we go in and the level of desire we bring onto the pitch.”

Total focus
“The players are free to manage their preparation in whatever way makes them feel most comfortable. The only thing we demand is that they remain focused on what they have to do. In a stadium with almost 50,000 people, it’s difficult to isolate ourselves, so it’s normal that they realised the result from the atmosphere in the stadium. The players were very good, and I’d already got the message across to them that we had to be focused on ourselves and nothing else.”

Froholdt and Veiga
“Midfielders are very important players and have historically been decisive. All our attacking midfielders are racking up impressive stats; Rodrigo Mora and Seko Fofana have also been contributing. This is very important. Deniz Gül’s work on the first goal was fantastic, the way he controlled the ball, drawing defenders towards him and creating space for Gabri Veiga. Preparation and teamwork always make the difference.”

Zaidu
“I think he’ll be available. From what I understood, it was cramps and fatigue.”

Substitutions at half-time
“At half-time I replace two players who were shown a yellow card.”

The opposition’s strategy
“They came here with a very clear plan to put two quick players up against our centre-backs. There were a couple of times in the first half when we were caught out of position, and that gave them a few dangerous chances. Their manager prepared very well for the game, but we also managed the game well with the ball, especially in the second half, and managed to play more in the opposition’s half, as well as having more control. The 90 minutes were very positive. It was a good tactical battle, it took us a while to break the tie, but we managed to do so early in the second half.”