Benfica Roger Schmidt Juventus Preview

PREVIEW

Benfica seeks to achieve one more of its goals for the 2022/23 season, the knockout stage of the Champions League. However, Roger Schmidt does not foresee an easy match against a Juventus team with a lot of quality.

Benfica faced a tough match against Juventus in Turin. What differences do you expect for the match at Estádio da Luz?

Every match is a match, no two matches are the same. In Turin, the was difficult, especially at the beginning, but then we got into our rhythm and played a good game. Tomorrow [Tuesday] is another game, what we have been trying to do is to concentrate on the 90 minutes, prepare well, respect the opponent, and find a good plan to play our game. We are heading into the fifth match of the group stage, we have a small advantage, we did four good matches, but all teams can qualify. Juventus is a big team with extraordinary players and an experienced coach. We must be at our best level to go through to the knockout stage because they also want to go through.

"Juventus is a big team with extraordinary players and an experienced coach. We must be brave and be at our best"

Roger Schmidt

Will the anxiety Juventus has shown in some matches be an advantage for Benfica in tomorrow's [Tuesday] match?

It is foolish to think that they are struggling and that they will not be at their best. This is an experienced team and a coach with experience in international football and we have to be at our best. We are prepared for the best Juventus team, and we are not thinking about weak points. We must be strong to qualify for the next round. The group is difficult, we said so from the start, and we didn't make the mistake of underestimating anyone.

"The group is difficult, we said so from the start, and we didn't make the mistake of underestimating anyone"

Juventus has several players missing from its squad. Could this be an advantage?

If teams have players sidelined, that is not good, but it happens to us as well. Every team goes through this in professional football. We must find solutions. They will always have a good team on the pitch and our focus is on the players who can play. We have to focus on the 90 minutes and keep that concentration during the 90 minutes.

"They [ the fans] give their best in the stands and we want to give them joy and make them proud of the team."

How do you think Benfica can use the advantage of playing at home and having fans’ support?

We always have great support, and we appreciate that. We have had support from the fans in home and away games. This is a great motivation for us. They give their best in the stands and we want to give them joy and make them proud of the team. We will try to win, play good football, and we will give everything.

Text: Marco Rebelo and Sónia Antunes
Photos: Victoria Ribeiro / SL Benfica
Last update: Thursday, March 21, 2024