The Benfica coach announced this Monday that the left back Grimaldo is fit to face Inter Milan in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, despite not having trained with the team.
The Spaniard finished Friday’s game against FC Porto with physical difficulties and was not seen today on the pitch of the Benfica Campus, in Seixal, during the 15-minute training session open to the media, but Roger Schmidt was concise and clear when commenting his availability.
“Grimaldo is in good shape”, replied the German coach of the ‘incarnated’, after commenting on the forced changes that he will have to make in defense facing the challenge against the Italians.
In addition to the doubts surrounding the Spanish defender, Alexander Bah was also injured in the defeat (2-1) against the ‘dragons’ and Otamendi will serve a one-match suspension, after completing a series of yellow cards in the second leg of the lap. out of 16 in the final against the Belgians of Club Brugge.
Without revealing who will play at the start, the German said, however, that he was “sure” that whoever does “will play well” and was even “excited” about the opportunity that will be given to players who have been less used to it. . .
“The only [Otamendi] He doesn’t play tomorrow, of course, but with Lucas [Veríssimo] and Morato we have two other good central defenders. Honestly, it’s a shame they haven’t played much this season, but when you have two centre-backs at the highest level all season, like António [Silva] and Nico [Otamendi]it’s hard for them to play a lot,” Schmidt said.
The ‘incarnated’ come from a defeat in the I Liga against FC Porto, a rival that was eliminated by Inter Milan in the round of 16 of the Champions League, in two games that were part of the “complete analysis” carried out by the Tuesday’s opponent’s team coach.
“It is an experienced team, capable of attacking if necessary and also defending. They won the first game at home (1-0) and, at Porto, they played defensively and got 0-0. Italian style, but I know they can change, so we have to be prepared for anything,” Schmidt said.
And, despite acknowledging that Inter Milan “is having some difficulties in terms of results in the Italian League”, Schmidt recalled that the Italian team’s players have a lot of experience and a lot of quality, in addition to the fact that “it is very special” for the team that we played in the quarterfinals of the ‘Champions’.
“I have no doubts about its quality. They will put us to the test and we have to be ready for that, ”she concluded.
Confirming this, Gonçalo Ramos stressed, moments before, that the defeat against FC Porto is part of the past and that the challenge against Inter is seen as a new opportunity.
“Just as when we win we don’t spend a week celebrating, when we lose we don’t regret it either, because we have matches every three or four days and there’s no time to lose new opportunities,” shot the ‘eagles’ striker.
Benfica will host Inter Milan on Tuesday, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, starting at 8:00 p.m., at the Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, with Englishman Michael Oliver refereeing.
Source: TSF
