The Portuguese press has already sent many journalists to Liverpool, where they’re set to cover Porto’s first clash against the Reds for the Champions League’s quarter finals.
Reporters started the work this weekend, and O Jogo features an interview they had with Leicester City fullback Ricardo Pereira.
The story, which is on their front page, totally ignores Pereira’s season for the Foxes, as they only want to know what he expects of Tuesday’s game.
Pereira had been present at Porto’s 5-0 defeat to Liverpool last season, so he has enough experience to say what the Dragons should not do this time.
“It’s going to be a good game,” Ricardo Pereira told O Jogo. “At this stage there were no good teams to get lucky. It is practically impossible to happen what happened last season, in that game so uneven, because the difference of the teams was not so big. It was the details that solved it. It will be a good tie.”
With his Premier League experience, Ricardo tried to explain what Portuguese clubs need to do to beat an English side: “The intensity is important. Making no mistakes is essential, especially against a team like Liverpool, which exploits offensive transitions a lot. With the ball, it will be important for FC Porto to be balanced and not let Liverpool out on a counterattack. The front three are very good at it. It is crucial not to lose the ball easily.”
Ricardo Pereira has also claimed that there’s a special Porto player who could be decisive for them: “Marega can make a difference. It’s very important to have a player like him in this kind of games because Liverpool’s defence is well built physically and Marega is a fast player, who opens up many spaces, not only for him but also for his teammates, due to the constant attempts in space and the ability to hold the ball. He may be important in this kind of duel.”
Asked if Porto will seek some ‘revenge’ for last year, he said: “I have not talked to them about it now, but I’m sure the team want to show their quality and that last year’s result was an isolated case.”
