Moutinho, Defour eye Porto's last tango in Paris
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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FC Porto require just a point on matchday six at Paris Saint-Germain FC to secure top spot in Group A, but João Moutinho and Steven Defour insist a win is the only thing on their minds.
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It was a night of contrasting fortunes at the Estádio do Dragão as FC Porto made it three home wins out of three in UEFA Champions League Group A, leaving GNK Dinamo Zagreb still seeking their first point and goal. A draw at Paris Saint-Germain FC on matchday six will see Porto top the section, but midfield pair of João Moutinho and Steven Defour emphasised that they will be going to the French capital to win. Meanwhile, Dinamo's Josip Šimunić and Sammir lamented their side's lack of experience as another promising performance failed to yield tangible reward.
João Moutinho, Porto midfielder
The most important thing was that we continue to produce. To be able to help my team-mates by contributing a goal and [two] assists makes me very happy, and pleased that we managed a victory with it.
Is it important to finish first? Of course. We always said our main objective was qualification but we want to keep first place. We know a point will get us there but we are going to Paris to win. That is the aim for all the games we play.
We are going step by step, so we're not talking about a final or a semi-final yet. We have a lot of important games to get through before that.
Steven Defour, Porto midfielder
We are going to play another good game [in Paris] with the quality we have, and we are going to secure first place. It is important to get into the second round most of all though, because at that stage, they are all big teams. Real Madrid are second in their group, and they are a great team, but we want first place; we always want to win. I'm having a good spell, and I hope I can continue like this.
Josip Šimunić, Dinamo defender
I thought we played outstandingly in the first 60 to 65 minutes, and then we just ran out of gas. We have a lot of young players who have picked up a lot of experience in these five games. We are the only team who still haven't got a point and still haven't scored a goal; we are hoping to change that in our final game.
We had two or three good chances to score, but at least we are creating them. We played a bit more bravely today. Unfortunately, 3-0 looks worse than it was.
Sammir, Dinamo midfielder
[On hitting the post] I saw the ball going in, but unfortunately it hit the post. We did very well for an hour, up until João Moutinho scored his goal [to make it 2-0], and then we physically fell down a little bit and we could not keep it going. [Being still without a goal or a point] is embarrassing, and I want to do my best for the club and the team, so we have to work hard and keep looking forward. We lack a bit of experience.