Carlos Carvalhal: “It’s against our nature to play defensively”
Atletico Madrid v Sporting preview
 Sporting will be looking to continue their recent good form as they take on Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital this evening in the Europa League. Coach Carlos Carvalhal has promised his side will not be in defensive mode in the Vicente Calderon stadium.
The Lions have won their last three matches, scoring 10 goals and conceding none. “We’re in good form, but we’ve got our feet firmly on the ground. But the objective is clear: we want to get through to the next round!” said Carvalhal.
“It’s a tie with two halves and we hope that it will only be decided in the last second of the game at the Alvalade. The aim of any team is to win. After a victory, the next best result is to draw with goals. But it’s all relative. It’s wide open for this game and the game at the Alvalade.
“We’re facing a good team, with great forwards that could play in any major team in the world, but we don’t have a defensive team. It would go against our nature to play that way, but we have to assimilate processes that allow us to face the two games with a degree of security.
Two formations
“We’ve got players that give us several solutions. The team has evolved in 4-1-3-2 or in 4-2-3-1. We can play the two systems. They are the variants that we have worked on and are starting to be consolidated.”
Asked whether recent signing Pongolle had let Sporting in on Atletico’s secrets, Carvalhal gave short shrift in his response.
“We have an excellent observation department and Atletico have already been carefully studied from the moment we knew we would be facing either them or Galatasaray. We are fully documented and informed about how our adversaries play, we don’t need to consult players.”
Team news
Sporting go to the Spanish capital without centre-back Daniel Carrico and forward Yannick Djalo who are both out injured. January buys Joao Pereira and Florent Pongolle are unable to take part having been registered by their previous clubs in this year’s Europa League.
The match also marks the 100th game in a Sporting shirt for in-form Russian midfielder Marat Izmailov.
by Tom Kundert
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