"We want to play attacking football and show that we deserve to stay in the competition"

PREVIEW

Ahead in the play-off after beating Toulouse in the first leg of the Europa League play-off (2-1), Benfica will try to seal their place in the last 16 on Thursday 22 February. 

Do you expect another win against Toulouse? Do you think it will be an opponent with a different style of play in the first 20 minutes?

Firstly, I'm expecting a tough, tough game. The 2nd leg of a knockout stage is always different because both teams know that at the end of the game, there is a decision and one of them will continue, or miss out, on the international competitions. That makes the 2nd leg very special, and of course we have a lot of motivation to continue in this competition, but so does Toulouse. We're playing away, we won the first leg, which makes the approach a little different, particularly for the opponent, because they need to score to stay in the competition. They'll have to take a few more risks, and we'll see if they do from the start. We believe in ourselves, we'll try to play our football. We want to play attacking football, and during the 90 minutes, we want to show that we deserve to stay in the competition. That's what we're hoping for, we're ready, and we have to wait for these 90 minutes.

Toulouse are very strong from free kicks and corners. Do you have a plan for that?

We need solutions for all game situations. In defense, in attack, in midfield, in possession, without the ball, in pressing, in everything, and of course also in set pieces. It's part of the preparation. We're doing very well at defending set-pieces, we're also good at attacking set-pieces. It's a tool for winning games, we have to be prepared for it, and we are.

After the first leg, Otamendi said that Benfica could be even more intense. Will tomorrow [Thursday] be different?

I think what I meant was that if we're intense and proactive, we'll always play our best football. We did that in the first leg, we did well, but we can do better. Sunday's game was a good example. If we play with high intensity, dynamics and transitions, we create chances and keep the game away from our area. We still have the potential to do things better, but right now we're good enough to win games. Tomorrow [Thursday 22 February], we need a good approach and balance in the team, we have to know how to defend, but we also have to show our weapons in attack. Goals influence the story of the game, and of course we want to score and use them to do so. That's the task.

What is Benfica's goal in this competition? Is it a priority?

All competitions are a priority. The league is always the main competition for every team, especially when you're fighting for titles. As I've said many times, when we start a competition, we try to play it as well as we can. In knockout stages or cups, of course the situation is a little different. If a team loses, they're out. In these competitions, it makes sense to focus on each round. We're completely focused on tomorrow's game [Thursday, February 22]. It's a difficult task. In international football, no matter where you play, it's always difficult, because all the teams have quality and deserve to play in the European competitions. We have to show that we can stay in the competition, and then we'll have the next round, and we'll try to do our best once again.

João Neves is in the team. Can you count on him for this game?

We were very shocked and saddened by what happened to his mother [who died this week]. We tried to support him as best we could, we stayed with him. We understand his situation, and we listened to him about his decision to train now, to join the team today [Wednesday, February 21]. In the end, it was what he wanted to do, and my impression is that it was good for him to be with his teammates, playing football on the pitch. Of course he'll need time to deal with the situation, but life has to go on, and we'll try to be with him as best we can. Tomorrow [Thursday, February 22], I'll have to think about it, I'll talk to him, and then we'll make a decision.