"Playing attacking football and winning the game"

PREVIEW

Bruno Lage expects an intense game against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão and made it clear that the eagles are determined to “play as a team” with the aim of “winning”. In his preview of the matchday 28 Liga Betclic clash, scheduled for 8:30 pm on Sunday, April 6, he also gave the following assurances: "We run for each other."

I wanted to hear your preview of tomorrow's clássico [Sunday]: compared to the reverse fixture, what are the main differences you see?

First of all, it's a very important game for us. It's not decisive, but it's a very important game, where we're going with the ambition of playing well, playing attacking football and winning the game. That has to be decisive. I feel we've prepared very well for the game, especially given what FC Porto have done in recent games. It's a different team because of the way they play, the system they've used in recent games and that's what it's going to be. It's going to be another clássico, and I expect it to be as heated as all the others, but the most important thing is our winning mentality and our ambition to win the game.

Who is out of this game through injury, and who could return to the starting eleven? And why do you say the game will be 'hot'?

Because that's been the record. When I say 'hot', I mean 'hot' because those are the games we want to play, as coaches and as players. At an important moment in the season, we want to be on top. That's what we're aiming for. Regardless of the opponent, regardless of whether we're playing at home or away, our ambition, our winning mentality must always be present. On the eleven: we've prepared well for the game, we still have a lot of things to discuss with the players. We still have tomorrow [Sunday] to decide. The only confirmation, as you know, is Renato [Sanches], who picked up an injury in the last game and is out.

If we look at the standings, this game is important for both teams, but it will be practically definitive or decisive for FC Porto, who, if they lose, will definitely miss out on the title. If Benfica win, they'll stay in first place no matter what, while if FC Porto lose, they'll be out of the title race and the Champions League will become more difficult. PSo I'll return to a question you've already been asked: for whom is tomorrow's [Sunday's] game more important? And then on the tactical question. You've said here that you've prepared well for the game, that you've felt the team is well focused this week. It's one thing what the coaches think and how they prepare, but it's another thing what the game will be like. Do you think it will be a broken game? Who will have more of the ball? Who will be in charge and control the match?

It's up to me to answer about us. It's important for us, it's not decisive. So it's up to me to talk about how we see the game. You can read about FC Porto's side. On the game side, and from what I've seen and what we've analyzed, I believe it's going to be a very divided and very fast game. Because both teams like to play fast, and we're very comfortable with that too. Both teams like to press, both teams are very strong at attacking deep, they're very strong in attacking transitions. That's why I foresee it. I predict a very tactical game, but not a tight game. A game of speed, in which the ball can quickly leave one area and, in 2/3 passes, be in the other area. I expect the game to be essentially like that. Tactical, but not tied down, a game of speed.

We're facing a very different FC Porto to the one we've seen in recent seasons: a change of president, a change of coaches, losing the captain, in short, losing a lot of references, and André Villas-Boas has even acknowledged that he's falling short. So I ask you if this is the weakest FC Porto you'll face.

It's not up to me, as Benfica's coach, to analyze FC Porto's life. It's up to me to analyze the FC Porto team and prepare my team in the best way possible to face FC Porto. I've already said how I think the game will go. FC Porto have changed their system in recent games. Eustáquio has been an important player in the way the team leaves one system and enters another, how the team attacks in one way and then can attack in another. Him between the center backs, him in front of the center backs. That's what's most important for me, to understand, to pass on to our players, and then what we have to prepare: how to defend, how to attack, how to take advantage of spaces, what spaces FC Porto offer us. That's the most important thing for me. I know that, for you, another type of analysis would be more important, but for me, as a coach, it's about the game, the importance of the game and how to prepare for the game in the best way.

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You promised an attacking team at the Dragão, not afraid to take risks. What I'm asking you is whether you're worried about the ease with which Farense scored at the Estadio da Luz.

No, I'm not, because look... when we look at the game, we have to look at what we do, both offensively and defensively. By chance, I've been curious to look at various leagues and, of the various leaders, whether in Spain, Italy or England, how often do we see the top team playing against a team that's lower in the table and also conceding two or three goals and winning 4-3 or 3-2, 1-0 or 2-1. So, when we look at the game, we feel that the team performed well in offensive terms, conceded a goal from a good stop, and we can see why. Farense are strong at that moment, and they deservedly scored a goal from a set-piece. We made it 3-1, came out of the 2nd half and made it 3-1. Farense, to their credit, play a beautiful move and make it 3-2. Sometimes we have to give credit to our opponents, and that's what I said in the last game, but in terms of what we produced offensively compared to what we did defensively, it was far superior to what we did offensively and positively. That's why we won the game, we've come on a good run, our quest has to be for consistency, because, you know, this isn't mathematics, and the example of that is the results we've had, both us and the other teams ahead of us, both in Portugal and in other countries, in terms of results, both with the first and the last, as well as the games in European competitions.

First of all, I'd like you to tell us in no uncertain terms whether Benfica will be able to count on Tomás Araújo for tomorrow's match [Sunday]. I'd also like to return to Renato Sanches. Can the Benfica coach explain to Benfica fans what's going on with Renato, who has generated so much expectation and who has once again been consumed by injuries?

I can't explain it. What I can say is that we're always on Renato's side. He's always recovered very well from the injuries he's had, he's easily included in training, he's easily included in the list of options for matches. He's currently on a run of, if I'm not mistaken, five games contributing to the team. I have to tell you that we've been working a lot with him on positioning and a different position, playing first midfielder. He was having a very interesting game [against Farense], because there are different things asked of you, for example, when you play in that position, either Florentino or Renato playing first midfielder, or what we ask of second midfielder, when Renato plays there or Kökcü. He was playing well in that role, and it's with some misfortune that we're seeing him return, again, to a moment of downtime, to an injury. We're with him, alongside the player, alongside the man. Let him recover quickly, because maybe we still have the Club World Cup for him to play in for us. As for Tomás, he's also been at a point where we have to manage him well. The most important thing for us, as a team, is to take care of all the players and then, tomorrow [Sunday], decide which player is best depending on the strategy we're going to adopt. We always want a lot of depth and Tomás gives us that. Funnily enough, despite being a central defender, he gives us a lot of depth down the corridor, he's good at crossing, he integrates the attacking third very well, regardless of which winger plays there, he projects a lot and he's very offensive. That's what we want in that position. We have to ease off and tomorrow [Sunday] we'll see what the best option is for the game.

I'd like to ask you if you have any other absentees for this game, apart from Renato [Sanches] and possibly Tomás [Araújo]. You've also said that this game is important, but not decisive. I'm asking, how important is it, what impact can winning this game or losing this game have on the rest of Benfica's season?.

The important thing is the 3 points. It's the same 3 points as Farense and then, eventually, it's the same 3 points that I think Arouca will get in the next game. That's why it's important. It's 3 points, it's important because the league is coming to an end, we want to stay top, that's why it's important. On injuries... Apart from Bah, Manu and Renato, there haven't been any [more injuries]...

Martín Anselmi [FC Porto coach] repeated the same line-up twice, and FC Porto won both games. Do you expect the same line-up, or do you think Martín Anselmi will change the team to counter any specific threat from Benfica?

Both scenarios can happen. It's a good reading, I think it's 50/50. It's based on the stability of the team having had two good results, but as coaches we always analyze the game regardless of the result. There are things we've seen in other games that are important to try out in the next game, regardless of the opponent. That's why there could also be a change... possibly we won't play a three-man line with Eustáquio, and we'll play a third central defender. It could happen, but I think it could be along the lines of the last two games. 

I don't know if March 2, 2019, means anything to you, but in the last 10 years Benfica have won twice at the Estádio do Dragão, and one of those times was with you as coach on this day. I'd like to ask you if the experience you had in that landmark match, in which Benfica beat FC Porto at the home of their rivals, allowed you to give something to the squad you have today. Obviously they're different squads, totally different teams, but has this experience you've had helped you in any way to pass on a message to the players for tomorrow's [Sunday's] game?

No. Look, either that - if you [journalist] just told me the date I wouldn't go there; then, when you said 2019, I predicted it would be our victory... - or the game we played the following season when we lost 3-2... We lost 3-2 and ended up, if you remember, with three men up front. At the time we had 3 men up front, 2 wide, 2 midfielders and 3 defenders. As we played with 3 spearheads, people were immediately impressed... and nowadays practically everyone plays like this: 3 [defenders], 2 [midfielders], 2 open men [wingers] and 3 men in the middle [forwards]. That's why we finished the game like that, with 3 strikers, that's the way we have to look at the game. The most important message I gave our players was that. What we control is what's going to happen on the pitch, being as calm as possible, thinking only about what we have to do, the task we have to do, the strategic side, but above all the potential, the quality and the talent, both as a team and in terms of individuals, because we're going to face a team with good individuals, but we also have great players who in a moment of inspiration can solve the game. And that they keep up this record that we've been having, which I think is very important, and you'll forgive me for repeating it, but we're together, we're together as a family, we play as a team, we run for each other, and once again, tomorrow [Sunday], as a troop to fight for us, because we really want to win the game.