Di María: "It's important for confidence"

Debut in official competitions in the 2023/24 season, and what a debut! On Wednesday night, August 9, Benfica beat FC Porto, 2-0, and won the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup trophy in Aveiro. Di María, who scored a goal, was named Man of the Match.

"I imagined this... the joy of winning a title that I was missing for Benfica. I had others, this one was missing. In my first game, I was able to give joy to all those who traveled to support us. The affection that people gave us when we arrived at the stadium gave us the strength to play this game that was not easy. The first half was hard for us and in the second half we made the difference because we have players of great quality. I think it was the result we wanted", he claimed.

Listen to Di María

"We knew it was going to be difficult. In the second half there was more space and opportunity, we recovered a good ball, which left me 'one-on-one' with the goalkeeper, I controlled it quickly, I shot, and the important thing is that it went in. It's something we work on a lot, the pressure, the recovery, and the running forward", he detailed.

As for kicking off the season with a trophy, the world champion was imperative: "It's important for confidence."

"It was to show that the boys who won the 38th league title did a great job. Today, they won in a deserved way, and I'm very happy about that. It gives us a boost for the first game, against Boavista [Liga Betclic matchday 1]", he said.

Listen to Di María

Presented as a new addition for 2023/24, Di María stressed that he never had any doubts about returning to the Club and told how he felt about his arrival and adaptation.

"I never had any doubts about returning to Benfica. It was something that stayed with me since I left [in 2010]. I was waiting for the right moment and this was it. I came back, and in the first match I won a title, I gave a joy to everyone who came to welcome me at the Estádio da Luz the day I arrived. I am very happy. The day I arrived, I felt very loved. The group is impressive", he revealed.