Porto and Inter hoping for some Brazilian magic
PORTO: It’s time for Adriano and Luis Fabiano to start producing some fireworks.
In the early part of the season, the Brazilian strikers looked like certain game winners for their respective clubs. But, midway through their campaigns, they have lost their touch.
After scoring 14 goals for Inter Milan, Adriano was sidelined with a knee injury and hasn’t found the net since mid-December.
Since moving to defending European champions FC Porto from Sao Paulo last August, Fabiano has scored just three goals in 13 league games and spent a month sidelined through injury.
Both clubs need their Brazilian internationals to display their talent today when the Italian side play at Porto’s Stadium of the Dragon in the first leg of a Champions League round-of-16 tie.
“I’m always ready to play my best,” said Adriano, who was the standout in the Brazilian squad that won the Copa America in July.
“The games will be decided on small details and, in that respect, I aim to help Inter get through,” the striker was quoted as saying in daily sports paper O Jogo.
Porto share top spot in the Portuguese league with Benfica but they are way off the form they showed under Jose Mourinho, who left at the end of last season to coach Chelsea.
As well as releasing their coach, Porto sold a handful of key players, including midfield maestro Deco, who went to FC Barcelona, and defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira, who went to England with Mourinho.
The rot didn’t stop there.
Porto have their third coach in six months after firing Italian Luigi Del Neri and Spaniard Victor Fernandez.
Unheralded Portuguese coach Jose Couceiro took charge earlier this month. He has just one full season of topflight experience in his career, and today’s encounter is only his fourth game at the helm.
Adding to Porto’s worries, Brazilian midfielder Diego is suspended and veteran defender Jorge Costa still hasn’t recovered from injury.
Couceiro is hoping that midfielder Nuno Maniche, out for the past two months, can regain his match fitness in time for the game.
With Christian Vieri nursing bruised ribs, Adriano is expected to start.
The Brazilian “will always be a handful for our opponents,” said Inter coach Roberto Mancini.
Adriano likely will play alongside Obafemi Martins, though the pacy Nigerian recently has complained of back pains. – AP
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