Porto’s defeat against Benfica in Portugal’s First League will complicate the task of Spanish champions Barcelona against the Dragons on Wednesday in the Champions League, Blaugrana footballer Joao Felix warned on Tuesday.
“I think their loss is only worse for us because they have more desire to win. It’s not even good for us that Benfica won and we already know what Porto are: when they lose a game, Come with the intention of doing better and with maximum desire,” the 23-year-old Portuguese national team striker shared at a press conference .
Porto dropped to third in Liga I on Friday, losing away to national champions Benfica (0-1) on matchday seven before hosting Barcelona, who are currently second in the division. team inferior to Real Madrid.
The two teams are tied at the top of Champions Group H after the Dragons thrashed Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in Hamburg, Germany due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while the Catalans emerged victorious at home over Belgian Antwerp (5-0), with two goals and an assist from João Felix.
“I already warned [os companheiros de equipa] that the environment and the enemy will be difficult. We know what the Porto teams and the teams led by “Mr.” Sergio represent. [Conceição]. We are ready for difficulties, but we have to put our football into practice and do what is asked of us. I believe that this will be a controversial game,” he emphasized.
Joao Felix, on loan from Atlético Madrid to Barcelona in the final hours of the summer transfer window, has taken a leading role in the team coached by Javi Hernandez, scoring three goals and providing two assists in six matches.
“You can see the difference in everything. I don’t want to say that Atlético [de Madrid] They play poorly, especially because everyone plays the way they want, but to tell the truth, I am adapting better to the way Barcelona play. I needed a change of scenery and I’m happy,” said the striker, who was on loan at English club Chelsea in the second half of last season.
Acknowledging that the “hardest thing” will be maintaining the level of recent achievements, Joao Felix rejects the idea that this should be his season of assertion in Spain after three and a half seasons on and off at Atlético Madrid, where he arrived from Benfica “
“We have a clear goal to pass this group. We want to once again include Barcelona among the candidates to win the Champions League, but we are going step by step, not wanting to think too far ahead. We may have succeeded. The toughest game in the group is ahead,” concluded the striker, who played for Porto’s youth teams between 2008 and 2015 before moving to Benfica, the club where he made his professional debut.
On Wednesday, starting at 20:00, at the Dragao Stadium in Porto, Porto will host Barcelona, both with three points, in a match of the second round of Group H of the Champions League, which will be refereed by Englishman Anthony Taylor a few hours after , how the Belgians from Antwerp met at home with the Ukrainians from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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