Roger Schmidt: "We are completely focused on our match"

PREVIEW

In case of victory this Saturday, May 13, the clash of matchday 32 of the Liga Bwin, against Portimonense, Benfica can become champion the next day with third-party results, but Roger Schmidt reinforced that he only thinks about what he can control. 

What kind of game are you expecting in Portimão?

We have two weeks left of the season and have worked very hard. Our goal is to finish at a good level, and our approach throughout the season has been to prepare the team as well as possible for the next game. The next one is against Portimonense, in the South of Portugal, and what I expect is what I have seen in all the away matches: a team that will give everything to play well against Benfica. I expect a strong opponent. They can't be relegated, they can't be champions, and they can't qualify for European competitions, so they play without any pressure. We are prepared for that and will give everything to win the match.

The title could be decided on this matchday. Do you expect to be champion on Sunday [May 14]?

I expect a difficult game and I hope to win it. Everything else is not up to us, because it depends on other teams' results. We are completely focused on our match and nothing else.

The referee for tomorrow's match is Artur Soares Dias... Does it make you any calmer that he was at one of the Champions semi-finals in the middle of the week?

He was in one of the Champions semifinals. That means he is a very good referee, one of the best in Portugal. Undoubtedly, he is a good choice for the match against Portimonense.

The title is very close. Does the team feel nervous or confident?

Last week, against Braga, we faced a similar situation. What we showed was a lot of self-confidence and belief in ourselves. We played a top-level match, one of the best of the season, against the great Braga squad.  We showed that even without scoring, and in moments when we could have decided the game, we could keep our cool. As for belief and confidence, we are at a top level and that's what I expect for tomorrow [Saturday, May 13].