by This Monday, Roger Schmidt previewed the match against Arouca, scheduled for tomorrow at 21:15.
What do you expect from tomorrow’s game?
“It will be an away game, tough. We played in the Azores against Santa Clara and in Patsos, it’s the third away game in a row. We played well in the last two matches and tomorrow we face an opponent who plays well at home. , fast, good in transitions and counter attacks. They are 6th in the league and that says it all. We have to be focused, start well and fight for the 3 points.”
Aruka is in 6th place but is the 4th team to concede the most goals.
“Yes, they concede a lot of goals, in some of the games that have been played. I think they only scored 22 goals, they have strength especially in attack. They take advantage of the counter-attacks and if we are not organized they can cause us difficulties If they are in 6th after 18 rounds they are where they deserve to be. They fight hard, games are 90 minutes and we have to respect them. I think it was our first home game with them, we won but me. I was impressed with their quality and physical condition.”
The transfer window closes tomorrow. Ready for Chelsea to go ahead with Enzo’s release clause payment?
“We have to be prepared for everything when the market closes, especially if things are not in our hands. We know there is a situation with Enzo. There is a release clause if he wants to leave and the club pays that amount. We cannot prevent it. We have to be prepared, find solutions. He is our player, there was no deal, he is our player. I will be very happy when the market is closed and we can concentrate on the games we have.”
Is Gonzalo Ramos ready to play tomorrow? If I don’t play, does Casper move on?
“Gonçalo has a small muscle problem and is out tomorrow. We hope he will be ready for Saturday. It is a less serious injury than we thought and that is positive. We prepared Casper and Anderas very well in the last two weeks and a half, we have to make up for the time off they had, they weren’t even training when they signed. Now he’s in better shape, tomorrow it’s good to have Kasper in the available players.”
Are you afraid that with two days to go before the market closes, Enzo might have his mind elsewhere?
“I already mentioned it. Enzo is our player, he has all our support, he is a great person, a great player. I have already said everything about this matter. With the open market, anything can happen. weeks. There were several discussions at the beginning of January, he focused on Benfica, he played very well and that shows his quality. I am honest here in the conferences. This is the situation.”
Next month Benfica will play again in the Portuguese Cup and the Champions League. Are you ready to come back to play in different competitions?
“In the last games we have already shown that we are returning to a good level. The players showed a good mentality, they started the matches well, they were careful, there was a lot of tactical discipline, they took responsibility for what they did. we had to do on the field. If we look at the statistics we see that we had good results. We have to be prepared to play every 3 days, we can’t wait to play in the next few weeks.”
Like Grimaldo, Otamendi is out of contract at the end of the season. Are you going to replace it or renew it?
“Nico is our captain, he is a leader. He had a great season, his contract expires in the summer, he is a player with a lot of experience, everyone knows he likes to play for Benfica. The players’ plans. I hope he stays, to be a top player, he can play every 3 days in excellent conditions, he brings intelligence to the team and I hope he renews for another year or two. We will see. But in the end respect – if the player wants. Niko was here for 3 or 4 years and he will give everything to become a champion with Benfica. He is not focused on what will happen in the summer.”
