Arsenal, who were eliminated from the FA Cup after losing in the Carabao Cup final, will face Sporting Lisbon away in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
Louis Borges will lead Sporting against Arsenal on Tuesday night (Image: Carlos Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Louis Borges is concerned that Arsenal will become “like a wounded beast” after two disastrous defeats in cup matches.
Borges also said Sporting Lisbon will be on high alert to stop Víctor Goqueres as the Arsenal striker prepares to face his former club in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Sporting’s bigger focus will be on beating Arsenal, who have lost consecutive games in the FA Cup, having been defeated in the Carabao Cup final and eliminated at Southampton on Saturday.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will be given a chance for revenge in the Champions League, but Borges insists Sporting can reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Sporting manager Borges said: “Arsenal are a great team and tomorrow they will be like a wounded beast and will focus more on their individual abilities. Frankly, it will be more difficult for us, but I believe we can do something special tomorrow and something we have never done before by reaching the semi-finals.”
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“At this stage, I don’t think there are any favorites. Two teams who have been on a positive path, we will reach the top eight and have mutual respect. But I believe that our supporters, our fans, can make the difference and we can beat the best team in Europe, maybe the best two or three.”
“We know we are playing against a great team. A mistake can be fatal, so one second of laxity can cost lives.”
Gokeres left Sporting for Arsenal for £64m last summer after a long and sometimes ugly transfer saga. The Swede will take time to adapt and may receive a warm welcome from Sporting fans. But Borges insisted there were no hard feelings, insisting that Gokeres is a “great player” but that he had full faith in his defenders to stop him.
Borges added: “Victor is a great player, but we can’t just focus on one player because they have a lot of great players who can make a difference.”
Victor Gokeres will face his former club on Tuesday (Image: James Gill/Getty Images)
“To stop Gokeres, we have four great defenders and any one of them can do it. It’s going to be a big challenge, but we’re ready. I wish Victor the best of luck and I’m sure he’ll be very welcome back here.”
“He has great ambitions and after talking with the management, we both got what we wanted. The player wanted to leave and the club got what they wanted. Sporting will continue to be a great club at European level.”
“Victor had to adapt. There was a period of adaptation, and given his characteristics it took time, but now he is back to his level. It was natural for the fans to have a little doubt because it took him a while to score goals, but he is now back to his best form as a great striker.”
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