Rio Ave, ranked 13th with three points, will host FC Porto on Monday, fourth with six, in a match scheduled for 8:15 pm, which will be refereed by Fábio Veríssimo
The coach of Rio Ave said, this Sunday, that he had a plan to overcome FC Porto, in Monday’s match, of the third round of the I Liga, although giving the game’s favoritism to the dragons.
« We know the opponent’s strength, but we are confident. We have a plan, an organization and an idea for this game. We want to enjoy this match to the fullest and, respecting the opponent, prove our value at home », began by saying Luís Freire .
The coach of the Vila-Condenses even knows how to beat FC Porto, because, also at the start of last season, precisely a year ago, he defeated (3-1), in Arcos, the ‘blue and white’ team, in a match that Luís Freire prefers not to draw parallels.
« What happened last year is gone. It won’t bring victory tomorrow (Monday), it’s a new game and we have to face it as such. In a history of 80 games between the two teams, Rio Ave only won two or three. We don’t have to think about the past, we already know they are favorites, but this is another game », he stressed.
Luís Freire spoke of an opponent as a team « intense, pressing, full of value and with many offensive options », remembering that it is « a candidate for the title, with a technical team that has already been champion three times ».
« FC Porto is very strong, very intense, very connected, and with many options. It is a very hard-working team, in the image of the club and its coach. For our part, we have to seize the moment and follow the plan we have outlined » , stressed the technician.
In the first two rounds of the championship, Rio Ave started the competition with a victory (2-0), against Desportivo de Chaves, but then included a defeat (2-0) against Estoril, in a performance that Luís Freire not given much importance.
« I don’t care much about results at the beginning of the season, as the first games are a little irrelevant. Last season we only had one point at this stage and then we had 40. It’s still too early to draw lessons, we have to continue to grow, although the team has shown balance and improved in every game, regardless of the results », analyzed the coach.
For this reception to the « dragons », the coach of Vila-Condenses can only count on goalkeeper Jhonatan, who is still recovering from injury.
Rio Ave, ranked 13th with three points, will host FC Porto on Monday, fourth with six, in a match scheduled for 20:15, which will be refereed by Fábio Veríssimo, from the Leiria Football Association.