Porto coach Conceicao expects a 'balanced and difficult' Champions League clash with Inter

will face

in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 round in Portugal. Inter won the first leg thanks to a late goal from

.

In his pre-match press conference, Conceicao said he expects a balanced but difficult match against Simeon Inzaghi’s side.

“It will be a balanced match, very difficult, against a team full of good players. We know our opponent but above all we know what we are capable of doing. We want to be intense, good at pressing, aggressive and, above all, intelligent.

“The matches may be similar, but they will never be the same. It will also depend on the players who will play for Inter, for example I think there are doubts about whether Skriniar will be there or not.

“I don’t know if Dumfries will play, if Gosens will be there…. Then up front they have Dzeko, Lukaku and Lautaro, only two of these will play. Then it will depend on the strategy we adopt.”

The Portuguese coach insisted that his team is ready for the decisive Champions League match and said they should play their usual way.

“We prepared for it in accordance with what are our characteristics as a team. In these top-level matches we have to play the way we know, the way we feel most comfortable. If we adapt too much to our opponent, things might not go as well as we want.

“We are halfway through the game. We have 90 minutes to try to overturn the result but to do that we will have to be smart throughout the match. It will be important not to go on the attack, we will need to be patient and with the right aggressiveness.”

Conceicao was asked about his coaching style and whether it is suitable for the Champions League.

“I don’t think about that. My growth has to do with the challenges we have every day, with the quality of the players, with the changes in the squad year after year. I try not to look at what I like but to study a system that can extract the maximum potential from the players.

“This is what makes a coach grow. If you ask me which football I like best I’d answer German football, it doesn’t make me sleepy. Then I have a great passion for Italy, that’s where I lived the best moments of my career as a player and that’s why I have a strong bond with Italy.”

He also said Inter’s struggles in Serie A will not affect them in Europe.

“I’m not the Inter coach, but all defeats are tough for a club used to winning like Inter. However, Champions League matches are different, on a mental level the problems from the league defeat will not come into play tomorrow.”

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