Estoril Praia coach Ian Cathro outlined a pragmatic strategy for his team’s upcoming match against Portuguese league leaders FC Porto, stressing the importance of consistent performance over isolated high-profile victories.
Cathro acknowledged the difficulty of the game, calling it “perhaps the most difficult game of the season.” He praised FC Porto’s stability and success, noting they have “the right coach with the right idea” and “the right players.”
Despite the challenge, the 39-year-old Scottish coach expressed confidence that his ninth-placed team could “surprise” the league leaders at their home stadium. He emphasized the need for Estoril to “surpass our level” and “show something more to compete against FC Porto.”
Cathro, in his second season with Estoril, highlighted his priority for overall league stability rather than singular upset wins. “I know that before I arrived, Estoril beat FC Porto twice, and last year we didn’t take points from the big teams,” Cathro stated.
He added that consistent results are more crucial than winning a few big games. “If I had to choose, I would prefer to lose the games against the big teams and finish with 46 points.” Estoril currently has 13 points, while FC Porto leads the Liga Betclic with 31.
The coach dismissed the impact of Estoril’s recent Portuguese Cup elimination, a 2-1 loss to Famalicão, on Sunday’s league match.
He also downplayed FC Porto’s complaints about their competition schedule. Cathro offered a wry counterpoint, saying, “I imagine if FC Porto had played on the Tondela pitch where we played. We also have complaints.”
The match, part of the 12th round of the Liga Betclic, is scheduled for local time Sunday evening at FC Porto’s Estádio do Dragão. André Narciso will referee the contest.