Coach Carlos Carvalhal stressed today that the reception of Hoffenheim, scheduled for Thursday, as part of the fourth day of the group stage of the Europa League, is of a certain importance, but is not decisive.
SC Braga have four points, thanks to a 2-1 win over Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv on matchday one, as well as a 1-1 draw in Sweden against Elfsborg around three weeks ago . The Carvalhal team, however, suffered defeats at home against the Norwegians of Bodo/Glimt (2-1) and during their trip to Greece against Olympiakos (3-0). This puts the team in a difficult position, but they remain close to several clubs fighting to reach the play-off.
While recalling that “each match and each point are crucial” in this type of competition, the 'arsenalists' coach made it clear that the meeting against the German club does not constitute a decisive turning point. “It is not decisive, because it is possible not to play well tomorrow [jeudi] and win the next two matches. All this is very relative, because it is a championship. Decisive is when you are in the knockout phase or something decisive is at stake. This match is important because we only have four points and we want to have more,” he said. declared during the pre-match press conference.
For Carlos Carvalhal, Sporting de Braga must be at 100% of their capacity to hope for victory, because a performance of 99% might not be enough.
In the current context of the Europa League, it is essential to keep in mind that each match has its own challenges. Carlos Carvalhal's approach, which insists that the match against Hoffenheim is not a point of no return, reveals a strategic understanding of the tournament. This highlights the importance of not getting fired up after a match, but rather seeing the competition as a whole, with the need for consistent performance. The challenge for SC Braga will be to combine ambition and realism, because every point counts in this quest for qualification.
- -
