Statements by Sérgio Conceição, coach of FC Porto, after the defeat by Inter, in Milan (0-1), in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League.
«It was a very competitive game, with two teams at the level of a round of 16 of the Champions League. The players fulfilled the plan in strategic terms and were focused and concentrated, except for one or another situation that we rectified at halftime. We knew Inter’s fragile points and we tried to exploit them, but we could have been more aggressive in attacking and finishing. That situation in the second half was a mirror of that. Inter, when they had to be aggressive and put the ball in, were aggressive, and that makes all the difference. I don’t want to justify myself with arbitrations, Otávio certainly deserved to see the second yellow card, but on the other hand Lautaro also deserved to have seen yellow and would not play in Dragão, but that has nothing to do with the result. Obviously I’m heartbroken because I lost the game and because of everything we did, with a strong team and more chances than Inter. Effectiveness defined what the result was. We have to work harder on the moment of finishing, it has also happened in the championship and in other national competitions. We cannot go looking for players of this quality, we have to work with the ones we have and I am very satisfied with them. In the second leg, the teams’ moment will be different, it is necessary to see that Otávio, Galeno, Mateus and Evanilson come from stops and do not have the ideal competitive rhythm for games with this intensity. It wasn’t easy and they gave a fantastic response. I have a group of men who are way, way above average and I mean it or I wouldn’t say it. This often, with organization and strategy, trumps quality », he told Eleven’s microphones.
Sérgio Conceição also spoke to TVI/CNN Portugal. ′′ Today if we left here with a draw I would think it was short. It’s bitter in the mouth, but we’re at halftime in the tie and we have another 90 minutes to play at Dragão”, he said, referring later to Otávio’s expulsion. «What saddens me is that there was one or another situation in which Inter players could be shown a yellow card, namely Lautaro, who would not play for Dragão either, and that did not happen», he stressed, not wanting to elaborate on whether there was dual criteria . «I don’t want to go there, it was an excellent game and I won’t be here repeating myself for them to massacre me in Portugal and say that I apologize for referees, I don’t want that», he shot.
