Rui Borges: “I reckon Samu will start for FC Porto” | OneFootball

In the preview of the first Classic of the 2025/26 championship, Rui Borges, Sporting’s coach, spoke about the match against FC Porto at the Estádio de Alvalade and expressed confidence that the starting striker for the Dragons will be Samu, despite him recovering from a minor injury.

Second Classic of the season

“In relation to the Super Cup [lost against Benfica, 1-0], there’s no comparison. Different opponents and different moments in preparation.”

Physical duels

“We will have to match their intensity. That also depends on FC Porto’s choices. We don’t have as many players who stand out in duels, but we have a lot of technical quality. We’re already used to teams looking for duels and man-to-man marking against us.”

Injured players from Sporting and FC Porto

“All three [Ousmane Diomande, Maxi Araújo, and Hidemasa Morita] are out of the game, that’s all I can say. Regarding FC Porto, I believe Samu will play. The president of FC Porto said he was going to have the most expensive transfer window ever. That’s very clear. They have many options and quality, it’s a great club. De Jong brings certain characteristics, Samu brings others. The team isn’t weakened by Samu’s injury. We are prepared for both options, although I think Samu will play.”

“The strategy never changes, but there may be different behaviors. But Farioli usually doesn’t give up on his principles.”

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