"Maximum concentration to win"

PREVIEW

The determination to win another 3 points in the fight to win the National Championship is very much present among the group led by Bruno Lage, as the coach said in the preview of the match between Benfica and Vitória SC, from matchday 30 of the Liga Betclic, scheduled for 8:30 pm on Saturday, April 19, at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

Benfica will play tomorrow [Saturday] at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, where Vitória SC have only lost one league game. What approach will Benfica take to this game in order to leave Guimarães with the 3 points?

First, we're looking forward to a great game. Because of what you've just said, also because of the way Vitória SC play, with enormous quality, and also because of what we've been doing. Both teams will want to win the game, and our feeling is one of absolute concentration, with motivation high, to play a great game.Win the 3 points, because they are the same 3 points that were valid in the game with FC Porto, they are the same 3 points that were valid in the game with Arouca, and they are 3 more points that we want to win.

The end of the Championship is approaching, and Benfica also has the Club World Cup. Are you already thinking about new players? If so, in which sectors would Bruno Lage like to see Benfica strengthened, also bearing in mind that some players are at the end of their contracts, and some could possibly leave for other clubs. I'd also like to ask you if Bernardo Silva, João Félix... if Bruno Lage could decide, would they come to Benfica.

It makes more sense to get straight to the point [laughs]. You know, I've said it more than once, I've worked with both players, they're symbols of the club, but I haven't spoken to João [Félix] or Bernardo [Silva] in months, so there's no point in talking about anything other than tomorrow's game [Saturday]. What's important to me are my players, they're the ones I have to protect, cherish and motivate to beat Vitória tomorrow. Because it was these players who beat FC Porto, it was us who drew with Arouca, and my absolute concentration is on my players. I can even give you a talk, because that's the talk I had with the players. I'm not thinking about any player who isn't in the Benfica squad. That's why we have to be fully focused on the next game to beat Vitoria. 

There's been a lot of talk about refereeing this week, following the last matchday, and it was even reported that Benfica wanted access to the audio of Otamendi's penalty against Arouca. In your opinion, have Benfica been disadvantaged this season in terms of refereeing, or is there any fear of that happening in this final stretch?

I'm not going to take a comma out of what I've said, nor am I going to repeat it. We're on our third or fourth question, and we haven't talked much about the game with Vitória SC. Vitória SC are an excellent team, they're having a great campaign both nationally and internationally, they have an excellent coach, and we'll be playing in a magnificent stadium, with the support they have from their fans. And with a month to go until the end of the season, we want to play our game, we want to play our football, and we want to win the game. That's what we have to focus on. I don't want to repeat what I've just said about the refereeing. 

I'd like to know what your feeling was, in terms of the players' reaction this week, after they drew with Arouca at home. How did the group feel?

We did the analysis we do after matches, as always, and that is to mobilize the players for the next game. You've heard me here many times say ‘game by game’ or ‘one game at a time’, and curiously our captain [Otamendi] came out today with a new tattoo, which makes a lot of sense, which is ‘Un día a la vez’. And that's how we have to live our lives. One day at a time. We've analyzed the game, we've understood what we did well and what we didn't do well, that's how we always do it, regardless of the result, and the team is extremely focused for tomorrow's game [Saturday]. 

Will there be any changes to the latest line-ups, given the result against Arouca? Specifically in the position of the wingers, perhaps that's where there could be some changes... And when we talk about reinforcements and possible new signings, it's been noticeable that coach Bruno Lage always puts himself a bit on the sidelines. Is there any explanation for this? Is he not involved in preparing for next season?

We're a month away from the end of the league season. I've been telling you this since day one: I came with a very clear objective in mind, and so far I've only won the League Cup. So what I want to do is help my players to be extremely focused, to choose - regardless of whether they're wingers, full-backs, central defenders or midfielders - the best eleven to win the next game. That's what I focus on 100 percent.