Conceicao focusing on positives despite Porto humbling

Sergio Conceicao refused to be too downbeat despite Porto’s 5-0 humbling at the hands of Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.

A Sadio Mane hat-trick plus goals from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino wrapped up a comprehensive away win for Jurgen Klopp’s side, all-but securing their place in the quarter-finals.

For Porto, it was a big surprise to fall to such a heavy defeat given they are top of the Primeira Liga and yet to taste defeat.

With their European adventure almost certainly over, Conceicao tried to focus on the positives for his side, as opposed to the heavy beating.

“We are sad, no one is more disappointed than us,” he told Sport TV. 

“It serves to draw lessons from but does not take anything away from what we have done in other competitions. 

“We are leaders of the championship, we are in the final of the Taca de Portugal and we want to give a response against Rio Ave [on Sunday].”

Final de Jogo / End of the match / Final del Partido#FCPorto #FCPLFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/7ym5H5faym

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) February 14, 2018

At 2-0 down, Conceicao felt his side still had a chance of rescuing something from the tie, but once Mane had his second he knew they were facing an uphill battle.

“We started the game in a balanced way, until the 20th minute there were no chances on goal from them and we already had an opportunity for Otavio,” he said.

“Then, in an attempt to get out quickly for the attack through the goalkeeper, we lost the ball and the first goal appeared, with some mistakes that cost dearly against teams of this quality.

“There was a good reaction to the goal but we ended up conceding the second, with some passivity on our part.

“From there it was more difficult to play, it was a hard blow for the players. If in the second half we had reduced [the deficit], and [Tiquinho] Soares had a chance, everything could have changed.

“But from 0-3 there was no more game.”