“Very important game, maximum concentration”

PREVIEW

In his preview of Benfica's visit to Estoril this Saturday, May 3, for matchday 32 of the Liga Betclic, Bruno Lage reinforced the maxim “un día a la vez” (one day at a time) and guaranteed that the future that matters most is winning the three points..

With three games to go until the end of the season, which Estoril do you expect to meet tomorrow [Saturday]?

I expect Estoril to be very competent and motivated, mainly because of their recent results. That's why it's really going to be a difficult game, in which concentration has to be at its maximum. It's a very important game, not a decisive one. Maybe next week - or certainly next week - I'll say something else, but for now it's a very important game, not a decisive one. Therefore, our focus, our commitment is to the game with Estoril. Focused, with a winning mentality, hard work and humility to beat this opponent.

Bearing in mind that you don't have Carreras (suspended) for this game, and Di María has been out of action, given what Carreras offers in terms of offense, will the Argentine be back in the team? I know they play in different positions, but for what they offer the team in offensive terms.

They're two important players in the team, for what they've done throughout the season, but that's not how we approach games. At each moment, depending on the players we have available, we choose the best strategy and the best starting eleven to interpret our idea for each game. So that's how we're going to make our decisions. The most important thing is that we look at and understand the moment of each player, define the best strategy and then understand which players best interpret what we want on the pitch.

As for Bruma, what's the matter with the player? He seemed to be in excellent shape before the Dragão game, but then he seems to have been getting fewer minutes. How do you see Bruma? About the game with Estoril: it's against a team that likes to take a lot of risks and play very openly. Is it a game of even greater uncertainty, also because of that? Because they're an opponent who aren't afraid to take risks and attack the opposition goal.

That's why we have to - and this is what we did during the week - get to know the opponent well and then define the best strategy. Understand their dynamics very well, both offensively and defensively. What they try to hide in the game, in a system of five defenders, but with different starting positions than usual. I think we prepared well for the game, as we did in the first round at Luz. On the subject of Bruma: you raised the question, the newspaper Record also raised the question, and today I'm answering the question, which is that Aktürkoğlu is also in a great moment. But let me talk about Bruma and encompass what the January market was all about. It was very important for us and allowed us to be in the position we are in. And Bruma, in particular, has done that. He's made a very strong entry into the squad, into the team. He's already been decisive, both in terms of goals and even assists. He's brought what we want, which is greater internal competitiveness. And maybe two months ago we looked at Aktürkoğlu's performance - and at what is written - and it wasn't the same Aktürkoğlu as at the start of the season. And right now, that internal competitiveness that I've been talking about from the start - which is what I like, having several players - is very important for the team. So there's nothing wrong with the player. The player is working hard and well so that, whenever he's called upon, he can contribute to achive the team's goals.

Today [Friday, May 2] there's a news report in Spain about Real Madrid's interest in [Álvaro] Carreras. I'd ask you to comment. Now, do you think it's appropriate to talk about Carreras' card management? Have you been waiting for Diomande to see the yellow and clear it to choose the opportune moment today?

You'll have to save the second question, but I'm sure I'll answer it next week. I'll have time to answer and I think it will be the ideal moment to answer the second question. To the first, look, when I arrived here, [Álvaro] Carreras was a flop, and today Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid are interested. The most important thing is what we think of the player. He's a player who has contributed a lot to the team. I'd venture to say, off the top of my head, that he's the player we use the most, because he's really important to our dynamic, and I'm very happy to be working with him.

How does the locker room experience this final moment in the league? They could go through if they win against Estoril. How does the dressing room feel? Do you feel that there are any active voices that, for example, have surprised you? Can you tell us a bit about that as well?

The dressing room has been the same for the last few weeks. It's un día a la vez [one day at a time). It's maximum concentration on our work and a tremendous humility to win the games.

You've already said that when you arrived, Carreras was a flop, and today he has Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid behind him. If you look back, what kind of Benfica did you find, and what kind of Benfica is this that with three games to go can be national champions?

About Carreras being a flop, that's because I didn't know the player and it was only what I was reading about him. Look, from the very first moment, I've always felt that the team is very dedicated, and I've praised the players, especially the older ones and those with more titles. You can see in their eyes that they want to follow the message of the coaching staff. That's what I felt. From the very first moment, an enormous desire to understand our ideas, to understand our way of playing, and then their ambition, the ambition of the coaching staff, the ambition of the structure to win titles. Because we know very well what it's like to be at Benfica, we have to deliver results, and that's what we have to do. In the next four games, we have to deliver results, we have to deliver titles, that's what I want to help do, to deliver titles to Benfica fans.

You've already mentioned Bruma, who has had fewer minutes in recent games, but Schjelderup has had more minutes. You told us about a week ago that you had a tough conversation with Schjelderup. Can you tell us a bit about that conversation? In what ways do you feel Schjelderup has improved so that today he deserves more opportunities than Bruma, for example?

Look, the conversation I had with him wasn't like that, it wasn't tough. The criticism Andreas received after the game was eventually harsh. Here, it was about trust, and I still have a lot of faith in him. We can't play everyone, and I'll take your question as an opportunity to repeat what I said in the conference after the last game, which is that the wingers are players of enormous quality, some can interpret different moments of the game, and that gives us the opportunity to manage the game as we want. We have players who play better between the lines, players who play better attacking deep, better in transition, players who are better at pressing, and we have to decide at each moment which ones start and then which ones can eventually help the team continue the work in the game. So when some get more minutes, others get less, what's important is that they feel the confidence of the coach. There's no problem with any of the players, they just have to keep working and be able to contribute whenever they're called into action.

You've talked about the possibility of competing for the title, and you're also in the final of the Portuguese Cup, you've already won the League Cup. Given everything you've done since you arrived at Benfica, are titles going to decide whether it's a good season or not? Or does this progress, for you, already make the season a positive one?

There's one thing I'm sure of, and that's that these four games aren't going to make me a better or worse coach. What will happen, in the end, is that we'll have more titles, or the same titles. Now, what I feel is that everyone has a huge ambition to do things well at every moment, with enough humility. So, to get there tomorrow [Saturday, May 3]... confident, humble, hard-working, dedicated, to play a great game against this Estoril team. It really is a very difficult and very important game for us.