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Football
Confidence, determination and motivation were Bruno Lage's key ideas in his preview of Benfica-Bologna, matchday 6 of the Champions League league phase.
10 December 2024, 13h32
Bruno Lage
It's the first time these two teams have met. I'd like to ask you what kind of game you're expecting and how you're looking at an opponent you've yet to beat in the Champions League?
I think I'm going to follow what Bah said because it is what we feel. It's going to be a very difficult game. Bologna are very good opponents and very competent. We've analyzed practically every game they've played in the Champions League, and they've really put in some good performances, regardless of the results. Liverpool, Aston Villa, for example, and this last game with Juventus [for the Italian league]. We're going to meet a team that likes to press a lot, that likes to press very high, that likes to be quick and vertical in their attacking processes. That's why they're a very difficult opponent, and we'll have to be at our best to win. That's what Champions League matches are all about. We're motivated, and our ambition is to win the game, add another three points to our tally and, at the end of tomorrow [Wednesday], look at our standings and feel that we're in a good position with 12 points.
This is the last Champions League game this year [2024], which closes with the Sporting-Benfica match. Looking at this set-up, does the team feel motivated to reach the end of this year and manage to top the league and be in this position in the Champions League? Is that extra motivation, looking at your domestic opponents?
The team feels motivated to match every moment. That was the goal we set ourselves when we arrived here three months ago. We drew up a plan with the ideas we wanted for the team, and the players have done an exemplary job. It's going to be a difficult and tight schedule, with another game coming up against Nacional [December 19, matchday 8]. We feel the team is motivated, the players all have to be available to match that. A good example of this is from our start, with good performances from players coming off the bench and helping the team. Another good example was [Leandro] Barreiro's performance in the last game. Everyone has to be ready. Everyone has to be motivated to match every moment. It's not important to look to the future if tomorrow [Wednesday] the team doesn't perform to the best of its ability to win the game.
"Everyone has to be prepared. Everyone has to be motivated to match every moment"
Bruno Lage
You've talked about this plan you've drawn up. Being one point behind the teams in 6th, 7th and 8th place, does Benfica want and think about direct qualification, or is the play-offs in the plan? And, on the other hand, are you worried about this game, after a hard-fought win [Vitória SC], with only one shot on target, eight in total? Does it worry you, knowing that you're going to return to the Champions League, where you had similar stats against Bayern [Munich]?
No, because after Bayern we already played Monaco and scored three goals, one from each winger. I'll start with the second part of the question, which is in terms of the statistics. We actually had one shot on target. I also have that app here, and when I open the app - which is Flashscore, by the way - and I see shots on target, there's one there. But when I analyze the video, which is what I'm interested in, I see, for example, the Aktür [Aktürkoğlu] situation, with Bruno Varela beaten, and the Vitória defender, with a tackle, took the ball away, and it was practically a goal, near the 40th minute. Then there was Pavlidis' shot. In the second half, we had an excellent chance, in a great play by Pavlidis. So when you look at the number of shots on target and the number of real chances on goal, there's a big difference. I'd also like to take this opportunity to say that in relation to a team that has the objective of winning, and it's in relation to the Championship that we're talking about, it would be funny and an interesting challenge for you to find out from the last champions, which are Sporting, Benfica and FC Porto, how many wins there are by 1-0. Because, in the end, it's those three, four or five 1-0 games that will make the difference to the champion. Because every team has the ability and competence to win, and it's on those days that the team has to be very competent to win 1-0. That's how all champions are made, and I reinforce what I said at the end of the game: it was a very good win, because the team knew how to interpret the different moments of the game and understand the tempo of the game. We could have scored another goal, but we didn't. Vitória SC put in a great display, they have a very good squad, they're having a very good season, they made our victory even more valuable and, for us, the important thing is the three points. And sticking those three points to the work we've been doing for the last three months. When I said plan, it was about looking at ourselves and how we can play. Now, the club's objectives are very clear, and I said this in our first Champions League game. We want to get through to the next stage. VWe're still playing Bologna, Barcelona and Juventus. And Bologna and Juventus drew 2-2 in their last game. So every game is going to be difficult. What we want is as many points as possible to progress in the competition.
"The players have done an exemplary job"
You've got the full team, only two players aren't there. Why did you call Diogo Prioste [to training]? Initially, when you returned to Benfica in September, many fans - and we spoke to them - doubted that you were the coach to bring Benfica back to prominence. The truth is that Benfica are having a very good season. You're almost in first place, you're in a good position in the Champions League. What message do you have for those fans now?
I almost want to ask how many [fans] you spoke to [laughs]... Quite a few? Okay... From the moment I'm here, I'm the coach of all Benfica fans. I've always felt enormous support and affection from the Benfica fans. What I'm feeling right now is nothing new, from the time I left until the day I joined, I've always felt enormous support and affection from the Benfica fans. Diogo [Prioste] has been very regular in the B team. I think he's been one of the best members of the B team. He's had a very good season, he's been training with us regularly and he deserved to train with us today [Tuesday, December 10].
"We're motivated and our ambition is to win the game, to add another three points to our tally"
Some images published on social media after the last game against Vitória SC showed Arthur Cabral training alone at the Estádio da Luz. I'd like to ask you if that came from the player himself, if it came from the coaching staff, and what that means? Is it the player himself who knows that he needs better physical preparation, or does it also show the player's commitment?
I'm going to use your question to talk about Arthur [Cabral] and the strikers, because they've all done a fantastic job. Arthur [Cabral] has worked hard to help the team and has helped the team in many ways. That's the first point. In the second point, this image comes out, but this image has an explanation. The next day, after the game, we were going to give the players the day off and it was essential that all the players trained a bit. And all those players who needed to train went to train. Some more than others, but they all went to the field to train, and Arthur [Cabral] is the only one who appears in the video because he eventually needed to continue working. But all of them, even some of the players who came in, like Zeki [Amdouni], went to finish what we thought they could still do. So it wasn't an isolated act by Arthur [Cabral], it wasn't for him, it was the work of the coaching staff for all the players.
Text: Editorial Staff
Photos: Cátia Luís / SL Benfica
Last update: Wednesday, December 11, 2024