The head coach of Lisbon's club “Sporting,” Rui Borges, shared his thoughts on his team’s defeat (0:1) against London’s “Arsenal” in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match.
According to the specialist, the match was largely even and full of intense battles. In particular, in terms of ball possession, the teams showed almost equal statistics. However, as Borges emphasized, Sporting’s attacks were much more dangerous and closer to scoring.
In his words, the team managed to control the game on the field, and he is satisfied with the players’ actions. Throughout the match, Sporting came close to scoring several times, but luck did not favor them in the decisive shots.
“In many respects, even in terms of ball possession, the game was almost equal. Our attacks were more dangerous, closer to the goal. We controlled the game. Honestly, I am happy with my players’ performance on the field,” Borges said.
Borges also noted that the opponent had very few real chances. He cited only the disallowed goal as an exception. According to the coach, if the team had acted more decisively and confidently in the opponent’s penalty area, the result could have been different.
“For 92 minutes, we had three or four clear opportunities. They — if we do not count the disallowed goal — had none. We just needed to act a little more boldly in front of the opponent’s goal,” Borges said.
At the same time, he stated that this defeat should be accepted as a natural part of football. The coach emphasized that the team will continue working to achieve a positive result and has a chance to change the situation in the return match.
“This is football. We continue working with hope for a positive outcome,” Borges said, as quoted by the official UEFA website.
For reference: the return match between Arsenal and Sporting will take place on April 15 at the Emirates Stadium in London. This game will determine which team advances to the semi-finals.
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