Luís Freire anticipated today this clash between two teams that have not yet guaranteed their permanence and began by considering that his "team is working well" and focused on improving its performance to follow up on the triumph obtained in the previous round, at home, against Gil Vicente (3-0).

"We now have more and different options within the squad", which has helped the team recover ground in the league table, the coach assessed.

"The team has been consistent in terms of performances and, for tomorrow [Sunday], it is to continue improving", he said.

Luís Freire expects "a different game" from the one that Rio Ave had with Gil Vicente", "because Estrela da Amadora plays in a 5x4x1 and is a very pressing, physical, intense, well-guided and well-organized team".

"We want to improve against these opponents, who have a more aggressive defensive organization", he stressed.

Defensive consistency and a strong reaction to losing the ball is what the coach also expects from his team in the match against Estrela.

"First we have to play well, then we have to play better than the others and, if we can't do both, we have to win the games", he argued, reinforcing the idea that if Rio Ave "plays well" it will be closer to winning.

The team from Vila do Conde stands out for being the only one in the championship still without away wins, and also the one with the most draws as a visitor, with eight.

"It is necessary to demystify the issue of not winning away from home, because Rio Ave has more points away from home than other teams. We have points and we are not even one of the worst teams away from home", countered Luís Freire.

The coach went on to say that his team has earned three points "in the last three away games", one of them against FC Porto, at the Estádio do Dragão.

"Obviously, we want the three points" against Estrela da Amadora, said Luís Freire, adding that for this his team will have to play "with attitude and a lot of dedication and give everything on the field".

The coach said he felt "the team united and with a common focus, a lot of mutual help", also because "it has already gone through a lot this year".

"We went 16 months without being able to sign players. Then we had an increase in solutions for the group, we clearly became stronger and we made a positive recovery so far", he defended.

Even so, he added, "nothing is done" and there is still "plenty of work to do" until the end of this championship.

Estrela da Amadora, 15th place, with 27 points, hosts Rio Ave, 12th, with 29, in a match of the 29th round of the Portuguese I League scheduled for 3:30 pm and which will be refereed by Luís Godinho, from the Évora association.