After “a game with plenty of scoring opportunities” in which FC Porto “showed a lot of maturity” and had “the patience needed to manage” key moments and “add three more points in a league where every game is tough” (2-0), Francesco Farioli praised the players’ “great performance and insatiable determination” before thanking the fans who “stood by the team every step of the way”: “Every time we took a shot, it felt like they were trying to help us put the ball in the net. It’s a victory that reflects the spirit of this club and this city. It was a great game and a great result.”

The only downside was that we didn’t score enough
“That’s the analysis: a game with plenty of scoring opportunities. We were patient in the first half against a very compact and organized FC Arouca. It took us a while to find the rhythm we needed, but even in the first half we had plenty of chances, and in the second half, ten minutes before Gabri Veiga’s goal, we tried everything to score and had a goal disallowed. That could even have been a turning point in the game, but the team showed a lot of maturity, and we secured an important victory in front of our fans, who gave us the energy we needed.”

Patience and maturity
“Our opponents always show a lot of respect here; they come in very organized and don’t give us any space. Usually, FC Arouca presses high, but today they dropped their lines. It’s a situation where we have two options: one is to get caught up in a wild, open game that we can’t control, and the other is to have the patience needed to manage the game, waiting for the right moment to score. We showed a lot of maturity, that’s the right word for today. It wasn’t an easy game at all, and the result gave us the opportunity to pick up three more points and move forward.”

About FC Arouca
“We have to congratulate FC Arouca’s goalkeeper, who made many difficult saves, and we had to be patient to wait for the right moment to score. He had a fantastic game, with many saves, and we had to believe we’d be able to get past him.”

Jan Bednarek
“Jan Bednarek reported some discomfort in his calf. We’ll have to wait to assess him.”

United for what lies ahead
“We’re just getting started; we’ll face many challenges, but it was important to start with this winning streak because every game in this league is tough. That makes it even more important to be consistent, mature, and solid. Today we put on a great performance and showed an insatiable desire to do better. Plus, the fans were with us on every play; every time we took a shot, it felt like they were trying to help us put the ball in the net. It’s a victory that reflects the spirit of this club and this city. It was a great game and a great result.”

Everyone counts
“Last season taught us that in this team there are no starters and no substitutes. There’s one group, of course, I have to choose 11 players to start and another five to come off the bench, and those who came on today responded very well, even Nehuén, who only played five minutes. Everyone did their part, and when we see players coming on with this kind of determination, it’s very important for our journey.”

The team above all else
“Today we had plenty of scoring opportunities, at least two or three clear chances before we scored, the disallowed goal, and Pepê’s header off the crossbar, so I’m happy for all the players for their individual performances. It’s always part of the team success, which always comes first.”

Jakub Kiwior’s disallowed goals
“We usually form a tunnel to celebrate certain events, like when a player returns from injury, and I think we’ll have to do one for Jakub Kiwior too, since he’s had two goals disallowed in consecutive matchdays, because that’s very rare. On Tuesday, we’ll definitely form that tunnel [laughs].”

Transfer Market
“We’ve talked a lot about the transfer market this week. Seko Fofana is a Stade Rennais player, and it doesn’t make sense to comment on what he said yesterday. Everything I said still stands today.”

Académico de Viseu
“I don’t want to give our next opponent any advantage, especially since we’ll be playing against a great friend of mine, Bruno Pinheiro. We worked together for many years. I can’t give any hints about the areas where we need to improve because next week we have a very difficult game against a very well-organized team. We have to work with the silence and privacy that are essential right now.”

The defensive effort of the entire team
“Usually, when we talk about keeping a clean sheet, the credit goes to Diogo Costa, who has recently put in some great performances, or even to the center backs, but the credit belongs to the entire team. The way we play requires a huge defensive effort from our forwards, who have to press high up the field. If you look at what André Silva did in our defensive organization, it was fantastic, as was the energy brought by Pepê and William Gomes. When everything comes together, it’s always better. It’s great to have key players contributing defensively, but all of this only works with everyone’s team spirit.”

Organization on and off the field
“These are dynamics we’ve been working on. To get into the game, we often have to touch the ball, and that’s what Gabri Veiga did. It’s worth highlighting how the other players adapted to allow him to touch the ball so many times. In the first half, due to FC Arouca’s organization, the center backs exchanged 65 passes, and the third player with the most completed passes had around 20, which shows that it was a game where we needed a lot of patience and the right ambition to attack. It was a game we managed to win with a lot of composure and the right spirit when attacking. The fans’ support was fantastic in helping us navigate moments of greater calm and others of greater enthusiasm.”