Porto vs Besiktas Preview

Porto vs Besiktas Preview

 

Porto coach Andre Villas Boas does not want his team distracted by playing Benfica on Sunday when they meet Besiktas.

A fourth straight win in the Europa League will guarantee a place in the next stage of the competition.
That is all that matters to Villas Boas, who was on Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's backroom staff at Chelsea and Inter Milan.
After arriving at Porto in June, he is determined to make a name for himself in management.
Porto have already beaten Besiktas 3-1 in Turkey, with Rapid Vienna and CSKA Sofia occupying third and fourth place in Group L.
Villas Boas said: "The team is confident and has grown in terms of organisation. The impact we can have in qualifying will be extremely beneficial, even for Sunday's game.
"We have two more games to ensure qualification but are in fact standing at the gates to secure it. To throw away that chance against our nearest rivals would be a mistake."
Villas Boas has indicated he may tinker with his team, adding: "Our schedule is tight and we will have little time to rest. In that respect there might be one or two changes to the side."
Guti hopes Besiktas will be far more solid than they were in the first meeting between the clubs.
The Spaniard could play a key role, especially as former Porto midfielder Ricardo Quaresma will miss the game through injury.
Guti said: "We want to keep a clean sheet as that would help our ambition in this competition.
"We went through a bad spell with a lot of injuries. Now the team will have more options. It is important we go back to getting the kind of good results we achieved at the beginning of the season."
Meanwhile, talented defender Ridvan Simsek is facing a spell on the sidelines after a freak accident at home.
He slipped in his bathroom last night and fractured his right hand. According to club doctor Devrim Urgun, the player's hand will be in a cast for about three weeks.

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