Benfica Roger Schmidt Caldas Preview Cup

PREVIEW

Roger Schmidt previewed the Caldas-Benfica match from the 3rd round of the Portuguese Cup scheduled for 8:45 pm on Saturday, October 15, at the Campo da Mata, at Caldas da Rainha.

How do you prospect the game against Caldas? Can you make some changes and give some players more minutes?

I expect a Cup match, which is always different from the League matches. I know how these kinds of games are, so I never underestimate them. We have many goals this season. I love this competition. You always play against a winner; you see off other teams, and the last team standing is the cup winner. We will take it very seriously from the beginning. When you reach the semifinals or the final you don't have to motivate the players, you have to do it, especially at the beginning. They need to be focused on the moment and play good football. Tomorrow [Saturday] we want to play a good game, smartly, but if it is difficult, we are also prepared for that.

"They [the players] need to be focused on the moment and play good football. We want to play a good game, smartly, but if it is difficult, we are also prepared for that"

Roger Schmidt

The Portuguese Cup is a trophy that Benfica last won in 2017. How important is it for you, for the team, and for the Club to win this competition again?

It is very important. My experience tells me that when you get to the final, and you're going to play in it, that day is always very special. It is a different competition from the League. Reaching the Cup final and winning it is always a great day, there are many emotions. That's why we have the ambition to show a good attitude in our first Cup match, to win.

"Reaching the Cup final and winning it is always a great day, there are many emotions. That's why we have the ambition to show a good attitude in our first Cup match, to win"

Caldas is a team that competes in Liga 3. How did you analyze your opponent? How did you prepare this game?

We always respect the opponent, and we try to analyze it the in the best way possible. Just as we analyzed PSG for the Champions League, we analyzed the opponent we have in the Portuguese Cup. We know how they play. We know everything we need to know about this team. In these games, they usually also adjust their behavior a little bit depending on the team they face. We know how they play, we are prepared.

Text: Paulo Nunes Teixeira, Rafaela Certã Alves and Rui Miguel Gomes
Photos: Tânia Paulo / SL Benfica
Last update: Thursday, March 21, 2024