The new coach previews the derby against SL Benfica

This Sunday, at 8:30 pm, Sporting Clube host SL Benfica in a Liga Portugal derby with plenty at stake. The top two sides come face to face, and are separated by just a single point. It will also be a first game in charge for Sporting CP coach Rui Borges, who spoke in a press conference on Saturday.

“I don’t look at the ifs, I just focus on what I can control -and my focus is on winning. I know it will be a difficult game, a big game, and we want to win. If we win, the consequence is that we will be top of the table, and that is the best we can be. Therefore, the players also just need to focus on winning and not thinking about the 'ifs,'" said the coach.

"We have worked together for 72 hours, so obviously I'm not going to get here and perform magic, and the team will be far from what we want, but the attitude has to be there. Attitude and competitiveness will make the difference throughout the game.”

“There are no favourites. It will be a good game. SL Benfica are doing well and are in first place, but we are also doing well. The team are aware of what we can give and what winning means. So, more than focusing on first place, we have to focus on what we can do, how we can be better. If we are the better side, we will win and return to first place," he highlighted.

“It's a Clássico. They are different games, very competitive, and we are playing at home in front of our fans. It will be a very competitive game and, more than the quality, I think the competitive side will make the game better or less good -but what we want most is to win. I'm very focused on that."

As for Sporting CP's approach for Sunday's match, the coach did not reveal how his side will line up.

“I've played in several systems and the formation is just the starting point. The rest is dynamics, individual quality and characteristics. We're always trying to see how we can get the best out of each other and how we can be better than our opponents. Therefore, more than the way of playing, now it's about making the players believe," he explained, saying that he did not use the style played against SL Benfica as coach of Vitória SC as a basis for his plan.

“The teams are different, the players are different and they provide different things. So I just focused on what they can give tomorrow within my gameplan.”

Sporting CP will still be without several of the players who have been absent in recent weeks, but there will be a possible return for Hidemasa Morita.

“He is a wonderful player, with above-average intelligence and very good decision making. He impressed me playing against him, and working with him is different, you see other things. I was impressed with him, but with others too," revealed Borges, who also talked about striker Viktor Gyökeres.

“He will get back to scoring goals. He's a different player, he can give a lot to the team, he knows that and his teammates know that, but he doesn't play alone, so we need everyone connected to raise his and everyone else's performance.”

“We cannot give too much importance to the less positive phase of the season we've had, especially because Sporting CP are still in every competition. Sporting CP are candidates for the title and will fight until the end to become champions again.”

Borges commented that “I have taken on a group willing to train, compete, play and win, completely in line with what we wanted to convey. They seem motivated, willing to learn and able to listen. They have already demonstrated all their quality and will continue to show it, I have no doubt about that. I understand the psychological side, but I don't see the players as being down. They are doing well and are calm."

“As for starting with a derby, I immediately said that I wanted to come here as soon as possible. It may be more difficult due to the short time we have had, but that doesn't stop me from having huge ambition to win and the confidence that it will work,” he concluded.