The Benfica coach warned on Tuesday that it is an obligation to give the best possible performance during the visit to Maccabi Haifa, in the sixth round of the Football Champions League, despite already qualifying for the ‘eighth’.
Roger Schmidt watched the match in Seixal before traveling with the team to Israel, and admitted that the entire group is “glad that he has already qualified for the knockout stage”, but recalled that, among other things, the first place in group H open is “good reasons to make another good game”.
“We have the same points as Paris [Saint-Germain] and we both have tough games away. It’s the Champions League and we always try to do our best. In fact, in every match, but especially in ‘Champions’, it is a must to show the best performance and mentality.”
However, Benfica will find a team with a “brave, active, intense football”, which was “very difficult” to win at Estádio da Luz, in the first round, and which also has “a clear goal”. .
“They can still qualify for the Europa League, so we have to wait for their best motivation, the best atmosphere and we have to be prepared. It will be a tough game for us, but either way, we want to show our quality. play a good game and win,” emphasized Schmidt.
On Wednesday, against the Israelis, the coach can not count on Enzo Fernández, “a player who is already important” to the team and who is serving a penalty for collecting yellow cards, but recalled that “other players have already shown that they have the quality to make the team play the same way”.
“The Frederick [Aursnes] has also shown that he can play very well in this position, Tino [Florentino] is very good in this position, we have Paulo Bernardo, other options. It’s a shame because I like having Enzo on the pitch, he always gives me good feelings, but we have other players who can also play at the best level,” said the coach.
And precisely Aursnes, the first name the coach remembered to take the Argentine midfielder’s position, sat next to Schmidt, guaranteeing that he likes to play both on the left, as was more usual with Benfica, and in the central position of the midfielder field.
“As a player I’m a good all-rounder and I can play in both positions. I try to do it my way, maybe it’s not the classic extreme, but honestly I like both positions,” the Norwegian admitted.
Benfica visits Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday, in a sixth round match of Group H of the Champions League, which starts at 8 p.m., at Sammy Ofer Stadium, in Haifa, and referees Englishman Anthony Taylor.
The team led by Roger Schmidt has already qualified for the round of 16 and is second in the group, with the same 11 points as league-leader Paris Saint-Germain, a team visiting Juventus.
To win the group, Benfica will need to get a better result in Israel than the French in Turin, or recover from a four-goal deficit in the difference between goals scored and goals conceded.
Source: DN
