The coach previews the match against CS Marítimo

Sporting Clube de Portugal welcome CS Marítimo this Saturday on Matchday 32 in Liga Portugal, and coach Rúben Amorim says that the game presents an opportunity for his side.

“We have the utmost focus on this game. It's the only thing that matters and we have to take advantage of every minute. The focus is on improving certain things. We want to improve on our showing in the first game against them -and I don't think that will be difficult because we didn't play very well in Madeira, at an important moment in the season. That was also explained to the players at the time: We were coming back from the break for the World Cup, we were on a winning streak, had gone several games without conceding, had victories with great performances and there was a break, which was a hard blow to recover from," he told the media.

"Afterwards, we played Benfica away and played well, and that intermittency was very clear there. We have to improve in those aspects, win, not concede goals and enjoy this game as well, to continue to look at some things that we are working on to make the team more unpredictable. It is a good opportunity for us to win and to improve our play.”

CS Marítimo find themselves in a tough situation in the league, so the coach expects a game between two teams giving their all -and Sporting CP to be focused on winning.

“Above all, we look at the response that the team have provided. Honestly, when we're playing we don't look like a team that is far from our objectives and at the end of a cycle -quite the contrary. The players have already got it into their heads that that's football, that we have had a difficult season and that we have to stop thinking about the past and look to the future. We have to put in a good performance and, above all, respect the league. There is a fight between FC Paços de Ferreira and CS Marítimo, who are the teams closest to the playoff zone, and we have to respect that, in the same way that we did our best against FC Paços de Ferreira. In addition to the pride that comes with playing for Sporting CP, there is the obligation to give it your best and also make the competition more real. Therefore, we prepared for this game in the best way, we had a good week of work and we are prepared for the game," said Amorim.

With the season coming to an end, he was asked about the preparation for next term and assured that everything is well planned, taking into account the financial aspect.

“We are clear about what kind of players we need and who can leave. This assessment has already been more or less done and we will not interfere much, because we also have to focus on continuity, on the way the team plays and on the connections between the players. The league position will not influence things too much, because we already have a plan with and without Champions League football."

The coach was also asked about Daniel Bragança's return to training, after several months recovering from injury.

"It's great news. Dani looks very good, without fear. He had a bit of a slow recovery, but it shows a lot in the way he performs in training. We're not taking any risks with Dani. He is part of our plans for next season. He will be a very important player. He has great talent and our team have adapted to play in a way with Morita or Pedro Gonçalves, which is completely different from Matheus Nunes' style of play, which fits with Dani's ability to play between the lines and with the ball at his feet. I think that perhaps this will be our great strength for next season,” he concluded.