The coach reviews the late win over FC Famalicão

At the end of the game against FC Famalicão, Sporting CP coach Rui Borges gave his analysis of the 1-0 victory.

A 13th consecutive home win
“I don't care much about that, but I'm happy because I'm pleased to be at Sporting CP and enjoying every day with a great group.”

Analysis of the game
“In the first half, FC Famalicão had two dangerous moves, off two transitions. They are a competitive team, they contested duels and forced us to make more mistakes than usual in terms of our passing. We kept trying, but it was noticeable that we lacked a reference point in the area when it came to making better decisions in the final third. In the second half it was all Sporting CP and FC Famalicão didn't create anything. We had possession, created some chances, had 15 corner kicks and ended up scoring from one, but we could have scored earlier from a set piece. The story of the game was this: One team always looking for a goal and the other defending well, who were organised and competent, and waiting for transitions."

Using Pedro Gonçalves at centre forward
“He was one of the players available for the position. We had [Rafael] Nel as well, and Fotis was an option until the last minute to be a solution and if possible, we would maybe have started with Nel to have a reference point. Without Fotis and using Nel in the initial phase of the game, if we had this difficulty later in the game, we wouldn't have had anyone else to bring on. At times we lacked that target to link up and finish better, and even in our crossing there were hesitations because we lacked that reference point.”

The ideal composition for a mobile attack
“‘Pote’ and Trincão are players who link up and finish, and we needed someone to create space, so we opted to bring Maxi forward. He has good timing in attacking spaces, and we needed that from both him and Luís Guilherme, to create depth.”

The disallowed goal for FC Famalicão at the beginning of the game
“For me, it's a clear foul, plain and simple. It was off a move that preceded an offside, so that finish shouldn't have even happened. Besides, for me, after that it's a foul."

Another goal scored near the end of the game
“Football is played from the first to the last minute. We've also conceded two late goals; that's four points and, perhaps, I would have the same points as the first-place side if that weren't the case. It's always subjective. Above all, the team's ambition is enormous. The game is 90 minutes long, so why worry? We won, that's what we want and the games will get harder and harder. We played against a good team who were very competent, and that makes our victory even more valuable.”

The ‘big three’ all winning by the narrowest of margins
“We didn't play badly, the opposition also deserve credit, and I'm sure the games will get harder and harder. For us and for everyone, especially for the teams that are at the top, because the other teams have quality, are well organised and need points. The difficulty is evident and we have to be prepared.”

Rafael Nel's first appearance for the first team in 2025/2026
“I'm happy for him, because he deserved it. He worked very hard with the B team. He has to keep working, he has grown a lot and he is a very competitive kid. I believe he will have more opportunities because he is very focused, works hard and wants to succeed.”

Fotis Ioannidis being available against Moreirense FC?
“I don’t know the answer, but I believe so.”

Daniel Bragança’s goal and first steps in his return to competition
“He is an important player, one of the captains and has Sporting CP DNA. He is still looking for full fitness, but he is happy and motivated and will be an important player -as he was today, fortunately. He scored a header, which is not very normal for him. He is a player who sees things differently and that’s why he came on. I'm happy to see him score. It is also important to talk about the fans. The energy of the fans has been phenomenal and on Saturday, in Moreira de Canons, in another difficult game, we need that energy.”