"We want to win, we've prepared well for the game"

PREVIEW

Driven by the best expectations, Benfica is heading to the League Cup final against Sporting at 7:45 pm this Saturday, January 11, at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria, with the aim of increasing the number of trophies they have won in this competition - they are looking for their eighth - as Bruno Lage said in his preview of the clash.

This could be their first League Cup trophy, their first final in this competition. I asked you for your expectations for this derby. What could make the difference in this kind of game for you to win the trophy?

Our expectations are the best. We want to win, we've prepared well for the game, technically, tactically, strategically and emotionally, as Nico [Otamendi] just said. So we're ready to play a good game and win. The most important thing is that tomorrow [Saturday, January 11] we play in the final, and we can change the number of League Cups won by Benfica.

It's special because it's a final, and what we want most in our careers is to win titles. That's why it's special. On the first question, I'll say what I said in the conference after the last game with Braga: we don't have time to look at the last game. We look at the game and then our focus and attention has to be on the next game, because if we look too much at the defeat in the last game, we won't be prepared for the next game. If we look too much at what won the game, we won't be prepared for the next game. That's why our approach is to make a concrete, real analysis, pass it on to the players, understand what we need to do better in the next game and demand that we do it on the pitch.

With his display against Braga, has Schjelderup earned his spot in the starting line-up for tomorrow [Saturday]?

All of them are available and ready to play in the final tomorrow [Saturday], all of them. What I want is exactly that, that in this second phase - with what we've done of reorganizing the team, of having attacking football - we have the ability to be consistent, and, regardless of the changes that might be made to the eleven, we don't lose the attacking dynamic that we have. So that's the main objective and to make everyone available to play.