With Porto thrashing their biggest rivals Benfica 5-0 at the weekend, manager Sérgio Conceição is in the mood to snap back at all the criticism he’s recently received from the Portuguese media.
The Dragons beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League’s round-of-16, and back then some pundits doubted the Gunners’ quality in the match.
Now speaking to the Portuguese press and quoted by O Jogo, Conceição points out it’s actually his team that is great, as they proved themselves again against Benfica.
“Arsenal were also very weak… But they hadn’t lost for I don’t know how many games and had thrashed others in the Premier League. You’ll probably say that Benfica were very bad, but you have to give credit to the players and the work that each one did, within a very strong FC Porto organisation,” said Conceição.
Arsenal and Porto are playing the round-of-16’s second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week.
The Dragons aren’t exactly having an excellent season, as they’re currently 3rd in the Portuguese table. That’s why Conceição has been targeted by the local media.
Now with the couple of wins over Arsenal and that historic result against Benfica, that could mean the tide is turning for the Dragons. And it’s with some high morale that they’ll be going to London to try and secure qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals.
