Porto, Vitor Bruno: “Lazio is ambitious, it will be a Champions League challenge that we want to win”

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7.30pm – The Porto coach Vitor Bruno is preparing to challenge Lazio again after facing them as Sergio Conceicao’s collaborator in the Europa League playoffs of the 2021/2022 season. Porto arrives in Rome with four points in the standings, thanks to the success against Hoffenheim and the spectacular 3-3 against Manchester United. In a few minutes Vitor Bruno will speak in a conference from the press room of the Olympic Stadium. Follow the live text on TUTTOmercatoWEB

8.00pm – A few minutes late for Porto, Vitor Bruno’s press conference will begin soon

8.40pm – Vitor Bruno’s press conference has begun

Baroni said that there are similarities between the two teams, what do you think?
“Yes, there are similarities. At the moment in football there are those 3-4 concepts that all teams make, the difference is made by the quality of the plays. It will be a very intense and difficult match, it will be a beautiful challenge to see and to play”.

Lazio is changing its skin, what do you think and what do Lazio plan to face tomorrow?
“We face an ambitious team with a very clear identity. It has many solutions, there are changes between Serie A and the Europa League, the individual profile changes but not the team concept. This is why they lost only one match in the last nine, then maybe if Vecino plays rather than Rovella it changes something, just like if Zaccagni or Noslin plays. However, we come here to propose our game and we will try to win.”

Will he make choices related to the team’s physical condition?
“The only player who is unavailable and who won’t be there tomorrow due to a physical problem is Marko Grujic.”

You will play Benfica in three days, how do you prepare for so many important matches?
“Tomorrow we need to win, we have drawn up a profile so as not to lower the physical performance of each player. Whoever is better plays, we won’t think about the next matches, we only have to think about tomorrow’s match which is the most important for us” .

Who can best link the two phases of the game in midfield?
“It depends on the opponent, whether we need a more offensive or more defensive midfielder. It always depends on the type of opponent we face.”

How much does Jaime’s absence weigh?
“We have a long squad with thirty players, someone has to stay out. It’s a technical choice, there will be the possibility of seeing him back on the pitch soon.”

You were here two years ago as Conceicao’s assistant for the Europa League match, what memories do you have of that match? Have you heard from Conceicao recently?
“I haven’t spoken to Conceicao, as you have seen we arrived very late. I remember the match two years ago, we drew but we won at home. We beat other Italians, Roma and Juventus in the Champions League. This can help us perhaps in the tomorrow’s challenge, the hope is to return here in some time and have a good memory of tomorrow’s challenge”.

Is tomorrow’s match between two Champions League teams? What do you expect from Lazio tomorrow?
“Yes, certainly tomorrow two Champions League teams will face each other, our objective in the meantime is to win tomorrow, then we will think about the rest and returning to the Champions League. We expect the usual Lazio, I forgot to talk to Nehuen about the match he played with Udinese. We are expecting a vertical Lazio, who attacks the depth and plays in a very offensive way. I hope we will have the same confidence that Nehuen had today when talking about Lazio.”

8.57pm – Vitor Bruno’s press conference has ended