Pepe has disclosed that Porto’s strategy was to contain Martin Odegaard in their recent Champions League encounter with Arsenal.
Despite Porto’s victory in the initial match, Arsenal equalized in the second leg before halftime with a goal from Leandro Trossard at the Emirates Stadium.
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After extra time, the score remained tied, necessitating a penalty shootout. David Raya’s two penalty saves were pivotal in ensuring Arsenal’s progression to the quarter-final draw of the Champions League on Friday.
Odegaard, who played a key role with an excellent assist for Trossard’s goal, was acknowledged by Pepe for his central defensive efforts at the Emirates, conceding that their plan was to limit the influence of the Arsenal skipper.
‘First of all I want to thank the fans, what they did tonight was incredible. Secondly, it’s a shame to be eliminated like this, but it’s part of football,’ Pepe told DAZN after Porto’s Champions League exit.
‘We were a team that created a lot of difficulties for Arsenal, starting with the home game. Today, with their first shot they scored. I have to congratulate my teammates because they did what the coach asked. But, in some moments we could have defined better and scored the goal. It was a great game on our part, but, unfortunately, we didn’t make it through the round.
‘We don’t forget that Arsenal are a great team, in the Premier League they score a lot of goals. We came to play our game, neutralising Odegaard’s play between the lines. We knew what we were doing, but unfortunately we couldn’t score. They had a bit of luck.’
When asked how Porto could have avoided a shootout, Pepe replied: ‘It’s about resolving the game before penalties, that’s what we tried to do.
‘If we had better offensive definition, but we even created chances. Unfortunately, we also feel the fatigue of a difficult time.
‘We were always connected to the game and I must congratulate my teammates and the fans. We have to lift our heads, move forward and learn lessons.’
When asked how he can handle the intensity of playing 120 minutes at the age of 41, Pepe said: ‘I am passionate about football, a privileged person, I do what I love and I dedicate myself a lot to this profession. I try to take care of myself.’
