Tonel, former Sporting man, cautious: “FC Porto don’t let opponents play” | OneFootball

When asked about the Classic between Sporting and FC Porto, Tonel praised the competitive maturity of Francesco Farioli's team this Tuesday, against a squad led by Rui Borges that has been delivering “good performances,” just days before the match scheduled for 8:30 PM (Continental Portugal time) this Saturday at Estádio José Alvalade.

The former central defender began by stating, in declarations to Rádio Renascença: “I am surprised to see a team with a new coach, so many new players, and already appearing very mature on the field. They know how to position themselves, they don't let the opponent play, they always commit more fouls, and are rarely caught in transitions. They don't allow counterattacks, they break up play a lot in midfield. They understand the moments of the game in a very advanced way considering there are so many new elements.”

Subsequently, the former player—who represented both rival clubs—added: “Sporting has been performing well, in the game against Nacional I noticed some weaknesses in defensive set-pieces, but they compensated with offensive quality. It is a well-drilled and mature team that is also doing very well.”

Regarding the difficulty of the match, Tonel summarized: “It's the first time they face a team of their level, it’s the most challenging game they will have faced so far. It's a triple-threat game, Sporting plays at home and has that advantage,” he concluded on the topic of the Classic.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.