Roger Schmidt: "The players are very focused"

PREVIEW

Total focus of the players in the mission to win was the guarantee given Roger Schmidt in the preview of Boavista-Benfica, matchday 1 of the Liga Betclic, which takes place at 8:45 pm this Monday, August 14, at Estádio do Bessa.

What do you expect to find in Benfica's opening league game away to Boavista?

As I said after the Super Cup game, for me, it will be a difficult game away from home. All away games in the Portuguese league are difficult. Against Boavista it will also be a difficult game. It was good for us to play the Super Cup, because then the season has already started. We did very well, we were able to win the game and that gave us confidence. But now it will be a different game, a different task, so we have to be ready. My feeling is that the players are very focused, concentrated and very happy to have official games again. We'll try to do our best to play a good game and win.

What do you expect from Trubin and Arthur Cabral? Do you count on both players for this match against Boavista?

I hope they will strengthen us. They are very good players, they have shown it in the past at the clubs they have represented, they have a lot of quality. We are happy that they have signed for Benfica. Now they have one and a half training sessions with the team, of course, it's not much. So I have to decide if it's enough for them to be part of the team tomorrow [Monday, August 14]. I will talk to them and make a decision. From my experience, normally they need some time to be connected with the other players, to feel the style of play, so I don't want to take them into a situation where they feel a lot of pressure. I want them to have a good start, I have to think.

After the Super Cup match, does Musa deserve to be in the starting eleven against Boavista?

It's always the same. The players have to show in every training session, every minute, when they're not in the starting line-up, that they deserve to play. I think those are very good arguments when you come in and score a goal. Of course, it's not just that, Musa was also able to create chances, he was very connected with his teammates in tactical terms. In my opinion, it was Peter's [Musa] best 45 minutes since he was my player at Benfica. He was very good, I hope he can confirm this performance, that he keeps this motivation so that he can be complete as a striker, in the different aspects of the game. He played very well, like other players. Of course, the probability of playing after having done so is greater. I'm happy for him because last season [2022/23] wasn't easy. His role was more of a second striker, because Gonçalo [Ramos] was always fit, playing well and scoring. His role was more about being ready as a second striker. Now we have a new season, he has evolved a lot, of course his goal must be to fight for his position and play as many games as possible as a starter.

Benfica will make their League debut after SC Braga lost to Famalicão, Sporting beat Vizela with a last-minute goal in stoppage time, and after beating FC Porto in the Super Cup. Do you feel Benfica is better prepared than its direct rivals?

They are very good examples: everything changes depending on what is done in the last game! Maybe they say we're in better shape because we won, it always depends on the results. As I said on Wednesday [August 9] after the game [Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira], I think the season will be very tough. You talked about very good teams, with very good individual quality, good coaches, and a good bond as a team. It's a long season, there will be ups and downs. To be champions you have to be consistent, be at a very good level, play good football, and pick up a lot of points. That's a task for us. There's no point in talking about favorites or anything like that.

Morato had a great pre-season, but with Otamendi's physical recovery, it was the Argentine international who played. Musa also did it, and you opted for other players in the Super Cup. How do you explain the decisions to the players?

You know, we are in Benfica! There is a lot of competition for any player. We just signed a new striker, a number 9, and a new goalkeeper... Everyone has a lot of competition, and we have to use that to develop them and be better than the other players. What I try to do is give the players the feeling that they are evolving and developing. Then they have more chances to play and show themselves. That's my style in this regard, to always have the players motivated to evolve and play for Benfica. In some positions there is not much difference between the players, for example, the four central defenders, António [Silva], Nico [Otamendi], Morato and even Tomás [Araújo], have been doing well during pre-season. Of course, you have to make decisions afterward. In my opinion, António [Silva] and Nico [Otamendi], who is our captain, played a lot last season, they are used to each other, but it was the Super Cup. I made the decision also because they played a lot of games together to be national champions and be part of the Super Cup. They deserved to play this game from the start. But I expect more rotation this season than last season, when we played a lot of games with the same players. 

Will Neres be available to play?

Yes, he is recovered. He's feeling better, he's been training for the last two days and he'll be back.