Bruno Lage: “To be at our best level to reach the next round”

It is already Thursday at 8:00 pm at Estádio da Luz that SL Benfica and Galatasaray kick off the 2nd leg of the Europa League Round of 32. The coach of the eagles, Bruno Lage, made the preview of the match in a press conference at Caixa Futebol Campus.

Benfica will be able to surprise again as it did in Turkey?

To surprise in what sense? In the match? Journalists are surprised because they don't follow training. Regarding the first match, I felt that that was the right starting XI for that match. Tomorrow [Thursday], I will field the best starting line-up according to the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. It will surely be a different starting XI from the first leg and from the last match [Aves].

Due to the good results and performances, did you ever think about winning the competition?

What is on my mind is winning the next match. It is with that mentality and philosophy that things get done.

Did you expect to win in Turkey?

We prepare the matches to play well and to win. We are winning the tie by 2-1, but it is going to be a difficult match, against a well-organized team, with collective quality, with distinguished individual players, a distinguished coach, who requires no introduction. We must be at our best level to reach the next round, which is our objective.

Taarabt was the surprise in the training session. Will he be the next bet?

He started the season at the B team. I did not know him, I had heard stories about is past, but what I saw was a player who always trained well, with the intensity I like. I must hand him opportunities, we will see if we can create that opportunity and if he grabs it once and for all to make a career according to his potential.

We saw Conti in the training session…

All players count. Conti has been training well. He had two/three days with a good volume of training and we will prepare him in the best way possible to enter in the team.

Do you expect to have a hellish atmosphere in the stands of Estádio da Luz?

Yes, it must be like that to. The public will certainly give a good response.

Text: Marco Rebelo

Pics: Isabel Cutileiro / SL Benfica