“We deserved the result and could have scored more” - Julen Lopetegui

“We deserved the result and could have scored more” - Julen Lopetegui

FC Porto’s players were naturally delighted with the victory over Bayern Munich last night, but recognised that the tie is far from over and that “it’s a small step” in the right direction, as Danilo put it.

Casemiro made a point of highlighting the team spirit shown, Evandro talked about a “spectacular” night and Jackson Martínez says the result will enable Porto to face the 2nd leg with confidence.

PortuGOAL rounds up the post-match reaction from the Estádio do Dragão.

 

 

Julen Lopetegui, Porto coach: 
“We started really well, Bayern are one of the best teams in history and we knew we had to do everything well. This is what happened, both offensively and defensively. I believe we deserved the result, and we could have even scored another goal. To compete with Bayern you have to play at your limits, and that’s what we did.

“We are only at the halfway stage and the most difficult part is yet to come. We’re not going to dream; we’re going to work hard and will need to play a great game in Munich against a tremendous opponent.

“The fans never let us down. Today they gave us fantastic energy and this contributed to the victory. With these fans we feel sure of ourselves, I have no doubt.”

 

Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich coach: 
“Naturally I wasn’t expecting Jackson to play although we knew it was a possibility. Porto’s coach opted to use him and of course it had an influence because Jackson Martínez is a top player.”

 

Ricardo Quaresma, Porto winger:
“We are to be congratulated for the win and the great game we played. We proved we are a great team. Now we’re going to rest and think about our next game, against Académica.”

 


FC Porto 3-1 Bayern Munich - match report and tactical analysis


 

Casemiro, Porto midfielder: 
 “We worked hard, we suffered a lot, and we all put our heart into it. This is the spirit we have to have because there is still a long way to go. We need to keep our feet on the ground and show humility, because we’ve got an important game on the weekend and we all have to give our best because we want to win the league.

“Afterwards we’ll have the game in Germany, where they are very strong. We’re going to need to show the same concentration as today, the same desire. We realise we haven’t achieved anything yet.”

 

Evandro, Porto midfielder: 
“It’s a privilege to play at this rhythm. It was a spectacular night. Only great teams have the chance to be involved in games like these. It’s a special moment for us.”  

 

Brahimi, Porto winger: 
“We started with the idea of pressing high and this led to two goals. But there is still a long way to go. Physically it was a very demanding game for us. We made a huge effort and now we’re going to rest, because we’ve got another game on Saturday. Only afterwards will we think about the game there.”


Jackson Martínez, Porto striker: 
“We knew that it would be very difficult, we knew what the game demanded from us. Bayern have amazing control over the ball, a fantastic security, but our strategy worked out. We knew how to suffer and we took advantage of the chances we had, of Bayern’s mistakes.

“The 3-1 result gives us confidence for Munich, despite the quality of the opponent. It’s going to be an even more difficult game. Bayern are strong at home or away, but we’ll try and do the same as we did tonight.”

 

Danilo, Porto right-back:   
“We were ready to face lots of difficulties, against one of the best teams in the world. We worked hard, with humility and lots of ambition. We managed to neutralise Bayern’s strong points and block their game somewhat and got a great result. It’s a small step, but there’s still another game to go.”


  
Fabiano, Porto goalkeeper:
“The team as a whole, from back to front, defended really well. This made it a calmer game for me.”

by Tom Kundert