Manuel Pellegrini has made clear that Malaga’s priority on Wednesday evening is to not concede an away goal to Porto.
Malaga welcome the Portuguese to La Rosaleda this midweek for the second leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, chasing a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
“It’s a 180-minute match, 90 minutes of which we’ve already played,” began Pellegrini at his pre-game Press conference.
“We’re currently at a disadvantage and have got another 90 minutes to turn the match around, taking into account the additional value of away goals.
“Our priority is not to concede any goals, as this would mean us having to score three times in order to win. Our mentality is that we could win or lose the match with every ball we play.
“I don’t think Porto will change their style of play. They always have certain characteristics on the pitch, and I’m sure they won’t be concentrating on defence, but will be determined to score to increase their advantage.
“The most important thing we can do is maintain our confidence and determination to win.
“It’s important that we keep our nerves and anxiety under control, as if we’re too nervous we’ll make mistakes.
“An early goal would be ideal, but we’ve got 90 minutes to score. We’re focusing on playing a clever match and ensuring we have a positive result at the end of the 90 minutes.”
