Roger Schmidt: "We need to improve"

POST-MATCH

Roger Schmidt analyzed Benfica's match against Real Sociedad (0-1), in the 3rd round of Group D of the Champions League, played on Tuesday, October 24, at the Estádio da Luz. 

FAIR OUTCOME

"Congratulations to Real Sociedad, they deserved to win. We played against a very good team, in very good form. They were better in every important aspect of football. They won most of the duels, and almost all the second balls. They were compact without the ball, very good at pressing... There are many things we're also very good at when we're on top form, but today we weren't at our best. When we play like that, it's because I haven't done everything perfectly. I'm responsible for everything, for the performance of the players individually and also as a team.I didn't see many players in top form today, and neither did we collectively. We have to accept that Real Sociedad dominated the game with and without the ball. It was very difficult for us to create chances. We tried everything, but we must accept that Real Sociedad deserved to win."

FOCUS ON REVERSING THE MOMENTUM

"We've played some good games this year, but it's obvious that we're not up to speed. Many players are struggling with their fitness and their game. So it's difficult for the team to show the football it normally does. We have to work at it. We have players coming back from injury, who are new. We don't have the same balance as last season. It's part of football, we've lost some important players, we've gained others. We have quality, but we're not managing to win duels, to play the proper balls. It's a problem for the whole team. It's not individual, overall we're not as connected as we need to be in these games to create more chances. We're usually able to create good chances in these moments, but at the moment we're not winning balls in good situations. We have to improve. We need a lot of players in top form, but we also need our best weapon again: our togetherness and connection on the pitch, especially from a tactical point of view. We didn't show that at a good enough level to be competitive."

CHANCES OF QUALIFICATION

"It's not the right time to talk about it. The probability is not high. Theoretically, it's still possible, but right now we have to focus on training and working hard, showing a good attitude on Saturday [against Casa Pia], dealing with the defeat and, as we've done many times since I've been here, showing good spirit at a time of greater difficulty. That's what I now expect from us, the players and the coaching staff. Right now, it's not good to look too much at our chances in the Champions League. We need to recover and be ready on Saturday [against Casa Pia] to show a different face and unity."

AMBITION ON ALL FRONTS

"I'm focused on every game. The next game is always the most important. We have ambitions in all competitions. We want to get through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, and we want to win the Cup, the League Cup, and the League. We're not focused on just one competition. We didn't play at 80% today to be fresh for Saturday [against Casa Pia], that doesn't make sense. We're very ambitious. We work very hard to play at the best level in the Champions League."