"We want to advance in the Cup and we're prepared for a tough game"

PREVIEW

Ready to lock horns with Braga, this Wednesday, January 10, at 8:45 pm, Benfica will take the field at Estádio da Luz with the ambition of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup. 

Benfica has already played Braga in the league this season. What are your prospects for this game? Are you planning to make any changes to the team?

I'm expecting a tough game, especially as it's a cup tie. It's always special because, after this game, one team will be out. I really enjoy this competition. We know Braga is a very good team, but we're playing at home, we're in good form, and we have the confidence to play a top game and win. It's our goal. We want to advance in the Cup, and we're prepared for a tough game. Changes? We'll see. We've played several games, but I think we're in good shape.

Last season, Benfica was knocked out of the Portuguese Cup by Braga. Does that worry you?

We're not going to lose because we lost last year, and we're not going to win because we beat Braga two weeks ago. It's a new game. Last season, we played a great game even though we were a man down after 30 minutes. In the end, there was a penalty shootout and we lost. But that won't affect tomorrow's game at all. We're starting from scratch, and if we want to get through to the next round, we have to earn it with a great game.

How is Marcos Leonardo preparing? From what you've seen, when will he be able to play?

We talked about him last time. He's been out of training for four weeks. My first impression over the last three days is very good, very positive. He's got a lot of quality, I can already see a good connection with his teammates. The easiest way to integrate is to be very close to the team. He'll be with the team for tomorrow's game [Wednesday]. We know he won't be able to start or get many minutes, but I think it's good for him to be part of the team. We'll see how the game goes and if he can get minutes. Our approach over the next two weeks will be for him to train a lot, also in individual terms, to get him ready. And, if possible, give him plenty of minutes.

A year ago, João Neves was promoted to the first team, and it turned out to be a good decision. Can we expect a similar surprise this season?

I hope so, it would be good [smiles]. There's always potential in Benfica's youth system. We often play with a lot of youth players, not just João Neves, but also António [Silva], who seems to be a very experienced player, but he's only 20. Morato, Florentino... Tomás Araújo has also done very well as a central defender or full-back. We're open to other academy players, that's Benfica's philosophy. We try to make sure they're with the team in training, so they can get to know their first-team colleagues and be close to them. It's up to them to play well in the B, U-23 or U-19 teams and to convince us in training when they're with us. We're open, which is why the squad isn't very big. There's potential, and the aim is to give the academy players space so that they can develop very quickly.