Crucial meeting at the Bosuil on Wednesday evening: Antwerp FC is hosting FC Porto, and the champion of Belgium actually needs three points to keep its chances of wintering in Europe alive. It won’t be easy, coach Mark van Bommel warns in advance.
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That's what the Dutchman said at the press conference the day before the Champions League fixture. "It's just a very good team with players who are not so well-known in Belgium and the Netherlands, but individually are very strong. It's going to be very difficult for us. Porto is the favorite tomorrow. They have been playing at this level for years, they know when to slow down a match, when to speed up, and when to defend aggressively," said Van Bommel.
After a calculated defeat against Barcelona and an extremely painful loss to Shakhtar Donetsk, the Belgian champions are at the bottom of their group with zero points, so a victory is practically a must. However, Van Bommel is not overly optimistic. "People underestimate how good they are. It will be difficult for us to get even a point," the coach continued during his press conference.
"Barcelona, Porto, and Shakhtar have been playing at this level for years. That's where we want to be. But those are steps that need to be taken over the long term. I understand that there are expectations, but it's not a given. Against Shakhtar, we played at the Champions League level for one half, but to win a match, you have to do that for an entire game. It's also a process that takes years, and that's what we're working towards.
Updated: 05:22, 24 Oct 2023
