Malaga are strong as a group, says Pereira

19-Feb-2013 12:30:00 AM

The Portistas' boss feels that Manuel Pellegrini's men's main strength is their work together as a collective, but also remarked their top individual quality

Porto coach Vitor Pereira has warned his players that Malaga will pose them a stern test in their last-16 Champions League encounter without having to rely on individual stars such as Isco.

The Andalusians won widespread for their acclaim for their group-stage campaign, which saw them beat AC Milan, and the Portuguese thinks their success is based on good teamwork.

"Although they have players who stand out and who have the capacity to unbalance a game, I admire Malaga as a whole, as a group," he told reporters.

"If we were playing this game based on the past, victory would be guaranteed for Porto because of our experience in Europe, but only the present counts.

"Malaga are fourth in La Liga, they beat Milan in the group stages and have proven their quality.

"Malaga can take the initiative in games, but they are also dangerous when they decide to attack with fast transitions. It is a decision that relies on their coach, who has already shown his quality.

"We are used to dominating our opponents, looking to score goals. We want to press high up the pitch, take possession, take the initiative."

The match between Porto and Malaga is set to kick off at 20:45CET on Tuesday at the Dragao.