🎥 Bruno Lage: "Totally prepared!"

"It was a completely normal and quiet week", guaranteed the coach of Benfica, Bruno Lage, in the preview of the clash with Santa Clara, from the last round (34) of the Liga NOS, that will kick-off at 6:30 pm on Saturday at Estádio da Luz.

We head to the last round of the Liga NOS with Benfica one point away from becoming the National Champion. What Santa Clara do you expect to find at Estádio da Luz?

We expect to find a very competent opponent, who has carried out a very good campaign, avoiding relegation with more than 40 points, and very interesting performances against FC Porto, Sporting and Braga. We expect a difficult match like all the ones we've been having. We must be at our best level to win this last final.

You certainly saw the images from the last time Benfica became the National Champion, in 2017, with thousands of fans celebrating. Has that crossed your mind for tomorrow [Saturday]?

I didn't happen to see those images, because at that time I too, as an assistant coach, was preparing a final at Sheffield Wednesday, in Wembley. What I imagine is to prepare the match and the team so it can be focused on playing naturally as up to now. This was our way from day one. It's the last match, it's another final and that's how we must step onto the pitch, totally prepared for our game, with strategy, to confirm on the pitch everything we've done so far and to finish the Championship in the position we're at. That's all we have in mind.

"TEAM FOCUSED ON PLAYING NATURALLY"

Is this final, because it's the last, more special? How do you prepare a game like this?

We prepare ourselves the same way. Since we arrived we couldn't lose any more points, we couldn't increase the gap for the teams at the top. I all matches we do this: we prepare ourselves the same way, we look at the opponent, we prepare our strategy and we head to the match.