"We'll give everything on the pitch"

PREVIEW

Conviction, identity and efficiency. These were the ingredients highlighted by Tomás Araújo for Benfica to overcome Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, in a match scheduled for 5:45 pm (mainland Portugal time) on Tuesday, March 11, at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.

Speaking to BTV before the press conference, the Portuguese international stressed that “a confident Benfica” will be able to turn the tie around (after losing the first leg 0-1).

"We've come from two games against them in which we created a lot of chances and could have won. Unfortunately, the win didn't come our way, but we know what we can do, the spaces we'll find, and we have to seize the opportunities we'll create tomorrow [Tuesday]," said the defender. 

Regarding the expected crowd in Catalonia, Tomás Araújo stressed the influence of the support of the Benfiquistas on the team: "Their support here is very important, they're our 12th player. We'll give everything on the pitch for them and hopefully we'll get through."

How did Benfica prepare for Barcelona's strengths, especially playing at home?

Benfica have prepared as they did for the last two games with Barcelona. We have to be confident, believe that we'll get a good result here and play our football, without pressure, and be ready for tomorrow's game [Tuesday].

You've been up against Raphinha in particular in these matches with Barcelona. I'd like to ask you if he's the most difficult player you've faced in these right-back assignments. How have you prepared to face the Brazilian in particular?

I don't know if he's the most difficult player. I've come up against a lot of good players and, above all, in training. In training, I have players who are constantly giving me a hard time. So I think I'm well prepared for this challenge, and I think that tomorrow [Tuesday], if the boss wants me to play, it could be another good match.

Benfica have never managed to turn a Champions League tie around, so if that happened tomorrow [Tuesday], it would be a responsibility and a big challenge. What did you learn from the defeat at Estádio da Luz? What can happen tomorrow with this lesson of defeat to achieve victory?

We have to be confident! We have a lot of confidence in ourselves, we know we have to create the chances we've been creating in recent games, and now it's about making them happen, being good defensively, and if that's the case, I think we'll get a good result tomorrow [Tuesday].