Roger Schmidt: "The pressure at Benfica is the same for everyone, our goals are high"

PREVIEW

At Benfica Campus, previewed the Portimonense-Benfica match, which takes place this Sunday, September 24, at 6 pm, at Portimão Estádio, on matchday 6 of the Liga Betclic, assuring that the eagles "are well-prepared and recovered" for the next obstacle in the competition. 

After an intense game in the Champions League, how is the group doing, and what are the expectations for the game in Portimão?

The players who played are a bit tired and disappointed because we lost an important game at home. We've already talked about the history of the game, the disappointment has to do with the result and not the display. We did a lot of good things in technical, tactical and mental terms, but we also made mistakes. We gave our opponents the chance to score two goals and wasted a lot of opportunities to score. The next few days we'll have to deal with it, it's always important to look ahead to the next game and try to win, that's what we'll try to do, that's the goal. Winning in Portimão is always difficult. Portimonense won last week at Vitória SC, they're in better shape than they were at the start of the season. We're well-prepared and recovered, we hope to have a good game in Portimão. 

This game against Portimonense is crucial after the Champions League match, as Benfica faces FC Porto on matchday 7?

Every game is crucial, but I know what you mean... The game after a defeat is always more important than usual, because we want to win again, to have that feeling of achievement and victory. That's our task. We're prepared, we've already shown that we can overcome this kind of situation. We're very focused on the next game.

How is António Silva? How did he react to being sent off [against Salzburg]?

Of course he was very disappointed, we know he's a very emotional player, and we also know how much he loves the club and the team. When something like that happens, like on Wednesday [September 20], seeing a red card too early... he was very disappointed and felt a bit responsible for what happened in the rest of the game. It wasn't something deliberate, it was a reflection of that moment. Be prepared, these moments are part of your growth process. Unfortunately, we couldn't win the game, but he's strong enough, has a good mentality to deal with it, and he'll look forward, overcome the situation, and be at a good level again.

Arthur Cabral arrived a month ago and was a starter twice. After the international break, he only played a few minutes. Is he feeling the pressure of playing for a club like Benfica?

I'm not saying he's feeling pressure. He arrived with the season already underway, after pre-season, following the departure of Gonçalo Ramos. I've tried to get him used to his teammates, to the team, and sometimes that happens quickly, he scores goals, gains confidence and a rapport with the team and everything is fine. The start was different, and then I have to make decisions depending on the form and condition of the players. We have three strikers up front, Petar Musa, Casper [Tengstedt] and Arthur [Cabral]. Musa did very well in the Super Cup, then got red-carded against Boavista, but I gave him the chance again. Petar has developed immensely and has a huge advantage because he's been at Benfica for a year, he knows what he has to do on the pitch. It's not just about scoring goals, it's about working hard, being part of the pressure, being available between the lines, having a good connection with the surrounding teammates, which is why I chose Petar over Casper or Arthur. Petar has been playing very well, as we saw on Wednesday [September 20]. Arthur Cabral is working well and has to wait a while to get his chance, as is always the case. He'll certainly score a lot of goals for Benfica, but my choice right now has been Petar [Musa].

David Neres hasn't been in the starting eleven. Is he incompatible with Di María?

We always try to find the best balance up front, we have Ángel [Di María] and Rafa in great form with the ball, scoring and assisting, working hard without the ball and being part of the pressing situations. We have to find the best balance in the team to have everything on the pitch and make the best decisions for each game. If the players up front are doing very well, you have to be patient. That's David's [Neres] situation. He has no physical problems now, he's fine. He'll certainly play a lot of games in the weeks to come.