After a first round with 24 goals, the team from the village of Moreira de Cónegos only scored six in the 13 matches of the second half, something that the coach of the Minhotos attributes to the "lack of inspiration" to materialize the "quality of play" of a squad "committed to training", who want to return to triumphs in the Algarve, against an opponent in the fight for maintenance.

"We are going to have games with teams that need points. I believe that Portimonense will not play in a block as low as some that we have encountered, but we have had a lot of control of the games and we have not been able to finish to value the possession of the ball and the arrivals to the last third. We hope to improve in that aspect", he said, in the preview of the challenge scheduled for 3:30 pm on Sunday.

Expecting "a difficult game" at the Estádio Municipal de Portimão, Rui Borges stressed that his players have to be attentive to "a very athletic team", full of players capable of "resolving games in individual actions", with "technical capacity in the offensive process" and in offensive set pieces, despite also suffering in defensive set pieces.

The Moreirense 'helmsman' also said that he tries to be "very balanced" in the face of the series of four games without triumphs in the championship, also because he was not enthusiastic when the team from the municipality of Guimarães starred in a cycle of 10 rounds without defeats, in the first round.

Convinced that only goals are missing from a team that regularly reaches the "last third" of the pitch, as happened in the home defeat to Gil Vicente (1-0), for the previous round, the coach stressed that the opponents have been "more cohesive" in defending in the second round and stressed that his players are confident for the trip to Portimão.

"They are confident. We are going to give a good response, and the quality of the game has to be maintained. In many moments of the championship, we were the most balanced team at all times of the game. In one or two details, we have been penalized in defensive terms", he said.

Rui Borges also assumed the desire to return to sixth place, in his opinion "more than deserved", at a time when Moreirense occupies the seventh position, with 43 points, two behind Arouca, who drew on Friday with Gil Vicente (2-2) and admitted that the use of the winger Madson Monteiro for the rest of the season is an unknown, after a "muscular relapse" in the reception to the Gilistas.

"I don't know if it will be a solution until the end of the season. Given the moment of the team, we have to consider whether it is worth the risk of using it for a game or two. If he really recovers and there is no risk, he will be an option. If there is a risk, he will not play. The most important thing is to recover and come back for next season", he said.

Moreirense, seventh place in the Portuguese I League, with 43 points, visits Portimonense, 16th, with 28, in a match scheduled for 3:30 pm on Sunday, at the Estádio Municipal de Portimão, with refereeing by Cláudio Pereira, from the Aveiro Football Association.