"We showed from the start that we wanted to dominate"

POST-MATCH

Satisfied with the team's attitude and display against Portimonense, in the match of matchday 23 of the Liga Betclic, Roger Schmidt analyzed Benfica's 4-0 triumph.

SPEED, SOLUTIONS AND GOALS

"I think we played a very good game tonight. I think the players enjoyed playing in our stadium. It's always a challenge, Portimonense are a good team, very physical, always looking for counter-attacks. We played away [against Toulouse] on Thursday and being prepared for games is demanding, but we showed from the start that we wanted to dominate. We were very good in possession, against a very compact opponent's block. We created a lot of good moments in the first half to score, but we missed a few chances and needed patience. In the second half, we increased the speed of the game and, at some point, we found solutions.We scored very good goals, three of them in a short space of time, each one more beautiful than the last. The game was decided, but I liked the way they kept going. We played for more goals, scored one more and finished with a clean sheet. I'm very happy with the performance of the players and their attitude, which was very good overall."

ADJUSTMENT TO THE USUAL SYSTEM

"We have different options and, in the end, it's always a question of balance. We have very good players, and finding the approach to the games is the question. In my opinion, we can play with a real spearhead, like Arthur [Cabral], Marcos Leonardo or Casper Tengstedt, who have more of a physical striker profile; or we can play with Rafa as a center forward. He has a different profile, but he's very dangerous in these situations because of his speed, his quality in decision-making and his intelligence in being in the right spaces. Then there's Ángel [Di María] and David [Neres], in a more central position, and Orkun [Kökcü] as a real number 10. It's a slightly different game, an adjustment to our usual tactics. Of course, this also has advantages for our game, as we saw today [February 25]. If the opposition defends intensely, as they often do, we think that a winger, or a more physical striker, is good for crosses and things like that. But we're a team that tries very hard to play soccer in the last 25/30 meters. We score a lot of goals from very close range, that's our style of play, and the more players you have who are good in tight spaces, with the ball and at making decisions, the more solutions you find against compact opponents who often defend with 10 men in their area. We have different options and today [February 25] my choice was this."

SQUAD IN SHAPE, "TO GIVE EVERYTHING"

"[Team management] That's always the challenge at this point. First, we have to win games, that's the most important thing. If it's possible to give some players a rest at the right time, of course we can do that. Over the last few weeks, I've tried to find a balance so as not to overload players, because we still have some crucial weeks ahead of us. I have the feeling that we're in a very good position physically. If you're successful as a team, of course it also helps on a physical level to be in good shape. I think the important thing is that almost all the players are fit. Only Juan Bernat is injured. Casper Tengstedt had flu syndrome today [February 25], but the other players are fine. It's great for us that Orkun [Kökcü], David [Neres] and Alex Bah are fit again. We've played most of the season without them, and this gives us different options. They've played a few games so far and, as we saw today, they're back and in good shape. Step by step, we'll try to be ready for the next game and then give everything in each one."

CHALLENGING WEEK WITH DERBY AND CLÁSSICO

"Playing FC Porto at home is always a challenge, they're a very good team, especially in their own stadium. They're doing well, as we saw last week against Arsenal, one of the top teams in the Premier League, whom they beat. We know it's difficult to play there, but we're in good shape, and we'll try our best to play good football there and win the game. These games are always special. You can win a lot in these games, but your opponent can also win a lot. Our position in the standings is good, but we know that anything can happen. Before that, we play Sporting in the Cup [1st leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals]. Then we have to go there and be confident. We had confidence on Thursday [against Toulouse], we had it today [against Portimonense] and we want to have it again on Thursday [in the derby], to keep us in good spirits. A lot of players are in great shape. We're ready for these games."