Roger Schmidt: "We're completely focused on a difficult semi-final"

PREVIEW

In the preview of the League Cup semi-final against Estoril, scheduled for 7:45 pm on Wednesday, January 24, Roger Schmidt guaranteed that Benfica is prepared to overcome a difficult match and advance to the final of a competition that, he stressed, he wants to win. 

The League Cup is a competition that Benfica wants to win. What do you expect from the semi-final against Estoril?

When we start a competition, no matter which one, we try to win it. We're in the semi-finals, and we're completely focused on that. We're going to play a tough game against a very dangerous and tough opponent. Estoril always play brave football, with a lot of quality, especially in attack. They've already scored a lot of goals this season, which is why it's always a challenge to play against them, especially in the semi-finals. We know we want to play in the final, but so do Estoril, and that's why they'll give everything. We're ready for it, we're in good shape, and now we have to play the full 90 minutes.

Do you expect Estoril to be more fragile than the one they met in the Championship [Matchday 8], a game Benfica won 0-1?

Looking at the Estoril game, one thing is obvious: they play active football, they always believe in themselves and they're very brave, no matter who the opponent is. They've already beaten FC Porto twice [League Cup and Championship], and that says it all and how dangerous they are. They've lost their last four games, but if you look at them, they could have won some of them too.  So I expect their style of play. I've yet to see an Estoril game where they've played a different or defensive style of football. I expect them to try everything they can to attack, and we have to be prepared for that, especially as they're good with the full-backs and the wingers, in transition and speeding up the game. We have to be prepared for that.

You said after the Boavista match that João Neves had a physical problem in training. Is he ready to play?

You have four new players. Which ones are available and ready for tomorrow [Wednesday]?

Four players have left and four more have joined Benfica. We're very happy about that. Gianluca Prestianni isn't ready to play because he's not allowed to, but the other players, Marcos [Leonardo] and Benjamín Rollheiser, are ready. Álvaro [Carreras] was already in the squad list for the last game. All three are ready to play.

Marcos Leonardo has scored two goals in as many games. Does he deserve to be in the starting XI? Can he start against Estoril?

I've never announced the starting eleven for any game at a press conference, and I'm not going to, because first I have to know what the best approach to the match is. We're very happy with Marcos' [Leonardo] start because it's good for him and the team. He's connecting with his teammates and has already scored two goals, which is great for his confidence. But we also know that he's coming off a period of rest after a long season in Brazil. We have to be smart and determine the right time for him to come into the game so as not to overload him, but at the same time give him the time he needs to get used to the team and reach his best form. We're still in that process, and we'll see when he's ready to start or be on the pitch for longer.

Is Rollheiser's arrival also in preparation for the departures of Rafa and Di María in the summer market?

The plan was to bring in Benjamín [Rollheiser] in the summer. That was the first approach. The club saw the opportunity to do it in the winter. At the same time, Gonçalo Guedes also asked to leave, to play more and go to Villarreal. We tried to combine the two, but in the end we're happy to bring him in now, and he's happy to be here. Now it's the perfect situation for him to get used to everything. Of course, we anticipate that in the summer some players might leave, so we have to prepare for that situation. That's why I think it was the perfect decision to bring him in. We'll see, I don't know what Rafa and Di María's thoughts are, I hope they stay. At the moment, we have a balanced squad for this season.

You've said you're satisfied with the squad. Given the confirmed changes, do you believe the team is stronger than before the opening of the transfer window?

It's always difficult to compare players. The transfer window is open and sometimes these things happen. Players are thinking about their situation, interest comes from other clubs, and we have to respect their decisions. Then we have to rebalance the squad with new players. I appreciate the qualities of David Jurásek, João Victor, Gonçalo Guedes and Chiquinho. They were important to us, but they wanted to leave, and we had to be ready to sign new players. I like the new additions to see coming to Benfica as a step forward. They're very happy to be playing for a big club, and the enthusiasm and quality they bring is good for us. I'm happy with the squad, but I was also happy with the players who left in recent weeks.