A Portuguese top-tier football club is taking its upcoming cup match against a lower-division team with “maximum seriousness” after the opponent demonstrated its giant-killing potential in an earlier round.
Casa Pia, a club from Portugal’s top-flight Primeira Liga, is set to face Alpendorada, a team from the fourth-tier Campeonato de Portugal league, in the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup).
Alpendorada eliminated Estrela da Amadora, a higher-division club, in the previous round of the competition, signaling its capacity for upsets.
Gonçalo Brandão, Casa Pia’s coach, emphasized his team’s approach. “We face this game with maximum seriousness,” Brandão told club media.
He acknowledged the challenge of playing away. “We know Alpendorada will want to take advantage of the home factor and create difficulties.”
Brandão added that Casa Pia must assert its play “from the first minute.”
Full-back André Geraldes, 34, echoed the coach’s sentiment regarding the upcoming match.
Geraldes noted the team’s two weeks of preparation. “We will find a quality team that already demonstrated it in the last round.”
He stressed Casa Pia’s ambition. “We have the ambition to go as far as possible in this competition, and we want to move forward.”
Brandão also mentioned that a recent break allowed the team to adjust “some details.”
He expressed confidence in his players. “I am confident that the team will enter concentrated, competitive, and committed.”
The coach concluded by referencing the unpredictable nature of cup competitions. “The Cup has its magic, and we want to continue forward.”