"We need the fans at their best, and they can expect us to play at our best level"

PREVIEW

On its return to Estádio da Luz, Benfica faces Real Sociedad this Tuesday, October 24 at 8 pm, in  a game from matchday 3 of Group D of the Champions League. In his preview of the match, Roger Schmidt expressed his confidence. 

The teams share certain game concepts. Given that scenario, what could make the difference?

When we analyze Real Sociedad, we see a team that plays intense football, with a clear tactical approach in defense and attack. They're very good in transition, especially when they win the ball. They have players who work hard to be available on the counter-attack. I see a very good team. We have to play at our best level, they're in good form. They've had a great season and, to qualify for the Champions League, they have to be one of the best teams in Spain. They're used to each other, they're a very balanced team. That means it's going to be a tough game, but we're playing at home. At home, and also away, we know that we're capable of winning against teams on a good run of results.That's the challenge for tomorrow [Tuesday]. It wasn't the perfect start in the Champions League for us. It started with two penalties and a red card at home in the first 10 minutes [against Salzburg], it's always a difficult situation. Still, even in that game, we showed that we can deal with tricky situations, but in the end we lost. We lost again at Inter, it's not a shame, but it means that now that there are only four games left, if we want to be one of the two teams to qualify for the knockout stage, we have to change the momentum. It's going to be a tough game until the last minute, but we're counting on the support of our fans, and also on our togetherness and quality.

Do you think this is the most important game of the season so far?

Benfica's most important games are always against FC Porto. We've won twice, in the Super Cup and in the league, and tomorrow [Tuesday] isn't a final decision, but I understand the question. Of course we have great ambitions in the Champions League, and we want to continue in this competition. Last season, we made a great effort to win the league and secure qualification for the Champions League. We want to stay in this great competition, so we have a lot of motivation and passion to play at this level. We'll do everything we can to win and create a new situation in the group..

There was the international break, the return to competition in the Portuguese Cup against a lower-tier team, while Real Sociedad had a more competitive game. Does this match come at a bad time?

I know what you mean, but I honestly don't think that way. Sometimes it's easier when you always have the same team on the pitch, when the players are always fit, but it's not always like that. It's part of having to manage difficult situations, or situations like the current one. We have a very good squad, the players are in good shape, and we've won a lot of games this season. We lost the first game in the league, but then we won all the others. We were very unlucky in the first Champions League game, and against Inter the second half wasn't the best, but losing there is a possible result. We've played some very good games, just like last season. We're used to this, and the team's strength lies in looking to the future and facing the next 90 minutes. The most important thing is to accept it and do our best on the pitch.

How optimistic and confident should Benfica fans be for this match?

I think they're always optimistic and positive. We have to show them from the start that they have to keep that attitude. We need them at their best, and they can expect us to play at our level, in terms of attitude, intensity, and everything that can influence us in terms of mentality. At the moment, not everything is 100%, there have been a few changes, but for tomorrow [Tuesday] we need all the players, whether they're starters or on the bench. We need them totally focused, and they have to give everything.

You explained that Juan Bernat's starting place against Inter was due to his experience. Does that detail also make a difference for the Real Sociedad match?

Juan Bernat arrived a little later in our team. He came in with an injury, we have to develop him, and he has to get minutes. He's played a few games and trained a lot, he's in much better shape than he was a few weeks ago. David Jurásek is in the same situation. He started well, got injured against Boavista and was out for a few weeks. They're getting better every week. At the moment, they're not both 100%, but they're ready for this kind of game. We'll see what my decision is.

Is Di María fit to play?

First of all, I'm very happy to have all the players available for training today [Monday]. Having Ángel [Di María], Alex Bah and Orkun [Kökcü]... that's good news. Now, I'll have to see with the players and also with the medical department how we manage the situation for tomorrow [Tuesday]. At the moment, I don't have 100% guarantees that the players will be fit, but we're still working on it.