Benfica’s coach, Roger Schmidt, said this Friday that the Portuguese Football Cup is a competition “very difficult to win” and that, for this reason, a serious attitude must be taken from the first match.
In the run-up to the match in the third round, against Caldas, from League 3, the German coach recalled that, especially in the first rounds, “you have to be there, focused and play good football” to overcome obstacles and rejected the idea that the Taça de Portugal is the easiest event on the calendar.
“If we look at the statistics, it is perhaps the most difficult title, because in the last 25 years Benfica has won the Cup only three times. That means that it is very difficult to win this competition”, warned Roger Schmidt, in a press conference, in Seixal.
Even so, the coach acknowledged that he really likes the competitive format of the competition and assumed that the Portuguese Cup is a “very important” goal for him and for Benfica, since “playing in the final is always a very special day” .
“It’s different from the I League. If you reach the Cup final and win, it’s a fantastic day, with a lot of emotions. That’s why we have the ambition for tomorrow.” [no sábado] show the right attitude, have a good first Cup game and win”, the German assumed.
About Caldas, Schmidt assured that he was analyzed “just like PSG [Paris Saint-Germain]and that, therefore, the ‘incarnates’ know “how they play and everything they need from the team”.
As for his team, he refused to advance the ‘eleven’, but admitted that the right back André Almeida, who has not played a minute this season, “is an option” to face Caldas, as well as the central João . Vítor, who is “fully recovered” and is “an option for tomorrow” [sábado] and for the next few weeks.
“Against Rio Ave we changed four or five players and played good football. Maybe tomorrow we’ll change some players as well.” [sábado] and still I hope that we play at a good level”, admitted Schmidt.
Benfica visits Caldas for the third day of the Portuguese Football Cup, starting Saturday, at 8:45 p.m., at Campo da Mata, in Caldas da Rainha, and refereed by Cláudio Pereira (AF Aveiro) .
The ‘incarnates’, who have not won the Portuguese Cup since 2017, make their debut in the competition this season, while Caldas, from League 3, starred in one of the surprises of the second round by defeating Sporting da Covilhã, from the II League., 3-0.
Benfica leads the I League, with 25 points, after nine games, without having lost any of the 17 games this season, while the Caldas da Rainha shield remains in second place in Series B of League 3, with nine points, also without any defeat in the six games played this season -five for the championship and one for the Cup-.
Source: TSF
