The coach reviews the win over CF Estrela da Amadora

After the hard-fought victory in Amadora, Rui Borges spoke to the media about Sporting CP's performance in the game.

Analysis of the game
"It was a difficult, competitive game. We knew that games after the UEFA Champions League are always very difficult for us, and that was the main point that came up in our team talk. We are well aware of it. We had to compete. We controlled the game with possession, but we lacked some inspiration in the final third. In the first half, CF Estrela da Amadora defended their area with eleven men, and we could have made better decisions. We didn't let them believe in themselves or get into transitions; in that aspect, we did well. We knew it was important to have that strictness as well. The game was a bit like that: We had a lot of the ball, but lacked inspiration in the final third.

Changes to the starting XI
"It was about managing our energy. Gonçalo Inácio has a lot of playing time under his belt. He was also on his fourth yellow card, but the decision was mostly due to physical issues: he came back from international duty, we began a month with many games, and to avoid a setback and losing him, we opted for this strategy. Edu [Quaresma] and Zeno [Debast] deserved this confidence; they had a very good game at home against CD Santa Clara. They demonstrate the character and willingness of everyone to take advantage of the opportunities the coach gives them.

We ended up refreshing the central area a bit, the two centre backs and two midfielders coming in. Morten [Hjulmand] didn't play against Arsenal FC, [Hidemasa] Morita played 90 minutes, Dani [Bragança] has been doing very well... it was important to have some mentally fresh players there too. There weren't so many changes that we could say it was all with the upcoming games in mind. It was another small physical and mental refreshment in a central area."

A decisive week-and-a-half
"It's natural that it's a decisive week, as we are getting closer and closer to the end of the season. The games become more decisive, but I only care about looking at the next one. And the next one is against Arsenal."

Geovany Quenda's return
"I'm very happy to see Quenda back. He's an important player who gives a lot to the team. He had a long break, unfortunately, but his teammates and the coaching staff are happy to have him back. He's a different kind of player and can help us in this final stretch of the season in the competitions we are involved in."

Wind
"The wind affected everyone, not just Sporting CP. In terms of the wind, or the cold... the adaptation is difficult for everyone and affected the quality of the game."

Iván Fresneda's substitution
"Iván was complaining about a knock and we opted to take him off at halftime."

Daniel Bragança's performances post-injury
"Dani has grown. He's an even more mature player and, of course, that is combined with his technical quality and reading of the game. I read a few days ago that, in the future, he could be a coach. I have no doubt about that. He has excellent game reading and decision-making skills; he needed time but he's in good form, he's added a lot to the team, and his teammates see that quality in him to help and make a difference."

Difficulties in speeding up the game
"In the first half, possession was very slow. We had to make the ball move around more, and that's why I say that the wind ended up greatly affecting the game. The players ended up being a little afraid to make some passes and realise that the wind makes things different. We had to move around a lot. The ball had to travel a lot down the wings, and even then we needed to make simpler decisions to 'crush' the opposition. We reached the final third and were very slow, as we weren't gaining numerical superiority. We improved at halftime, but in the first half we weren't managing it well; there was always numerical equality and time for CF Estrela da Amadora to reorganise the threat and defend their goal.

They opted to play with a five-man defensive block, which ended up being more difficult to break down. They are competitive and intense players in terms of physical and athletic ability; it's natural that we also lacked some energy, but despite everything, we knew it was a game where we had to compete, more than just wanting to play very well."