Coach Roger Schmidt assured this Friday that the Benfica team remains confident, despite two defeats in four days, and he will show that on Saturday against Desportivo de Chaves in the First Football League.
“It’s not an easy game, but of course we are prepared. We have a lot of confidence. Even after losing two games in four days, we still have the confidence to play good football and believe in ourselves. In training I see a team looking ahead, highly motivated and will show it tomorrow [sábado]”said the German at a press conference in Seixal.
Schmidt, on the other hand, acknowledged that the team was not “at the best level” in the last round against FC Porto, but recalled that before that defeat (2-1) it had played “the first 10 games” of 11 “in the second half of the season “.
As for Tuesday’s defeat to Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the coach insisted on the idea that “the players on the field were still fresh and still managed to create chances”, to justify the fact that only made one change.
“I trust all the players, but during the game I make decisions depending on what we need on the pitch. In this case we needed goals and I trust the players who were on the pitch.” [para marcar]so I only changed once, with David Neres”Schmidt emphasized.
And despite being the only substitute used by the coach in the defeat against the Italians, the Brazilian striker left the field of Estádio da Luz “disappointed”, but that is “no problem” for the coach.
“He was disappointed because we lost, because he gave a very good assist, but Gonçalo [Ramos] failed to make it 2-1. And of course I was disappointed that I didn’t start, but we talked about it and it’s gone. It is not a problem”accepted the German.
Benfica will visit Desportivo de Chaves on Saturday, in a match for the 28th round of the 1st Portuguese football league, with the start scheduled at 6:00 PM, at Estádio Engenheiro Manuel Branco Teixeira, with referee João Pinheiro (AF Braga).
The team led by Roger Schmidt will try to return to winning ways, having suffered two consecutive defeats against FC Porto (2-1) and Inter Milan (2-0) in the last two encounters.
The ‘incarnates’ lead the I Liga, with 71 points, seven more than the ‘dragons’, when there are still seven days to play until the end of the championship.
Source: DN
