See everything Vangelis Pavlidis said ahead of Benfica v Real Madrid | OneFootball

Vangelis Pavlidis was the player chosen to accompany José Mourinho at the press conference. In the preview of the duel against Real Madrid, the Benfica footballer talked about the Eagles' chances and admitted that there are no favorites and that the team will give everything on the field. Check out everything that was said by the number 14.

How has it been playing with Rafa? And about Anísio, what do you think?

"I played two or three games with Rafa. I heard a lot about him when I wasn't here, and everyone knows he has the quality to help us. He has the ability to create a lot, passes well, is very fast, a fantastic player. It's very good to have a player like him at number 10. Anísio is a top talent. He has already shown what he can do, but he needs to keep working, stay humble, and he will be a great player".

Lukebakio, Ríos, Bah, Aursnes, and Dedic are back. How important are these returns for Benfica's season?

"It's very good, now we are at full strength, and the coach will decide who will play. We will give our best to achieve the best results for the team".

It is said in Spain that Real Madrid players are not helping Mbappé. Pavlidis, you are a forward. What do you think about this?

"Forwards don't score goals alone. There are players who have to make other movements. Of course, Mbappé finishes many times because he is a great player, but he can't play alone. Football is a team sport, and there are no players who can do everything alone. People focus a lot on statistics, but there are many players doing other things".

What did you feel when you saw Trubin's goal?

"It was incredible, I think you can see our reactions in the videos... It was a very good feeling for everyone. Maybe the most important goal of his career, and I even celebrated his goal more than mine in that game...".

Last season, you scored a hat trick against Barcelona. What do you expect to do tomorrow? Can you repeat something like that?

"It's always good to score goals against these giant teams, of course. I want to keep scoring, assisting my teammates, but the most important thing is to keep winning games. I'm not too worried about that".

What do you think of Courtois? Is he the best goalkeeper in the world?

"I don't know if, at the moment, he is the best in the world, but it seems to me that he is in the top 3. He is a great goalkeeper, and that's why he is at Real Madrid. Looking at his career... I remember he was essential in a Champions League final already. And he almost saved my penalty... It's very difficult to face him because he is very big, and the goal seems small behind him".

Real Madrid has changed their way of playing a bit. Do you think that by having four midfielders, they have become a more solid team?

"I think it will be a completely different game from the first. The regular phase is different from the playoff, and now we have two finals. If we win, we continue; if we lose, we go home. We will need to be very focused. Whether they play with three or four midfielders, it won't be much different. We watched some videos and know what we have to do, how we have to play to be comfortable".

Mourinho said he doesn't want Benfica to follow Real Madrid's plan. What did he ask you to do tomorrow?

"I can't reveal our tactics... The mister has ideas of what he wants to do. I think we won't change much, but tomorrow we will have other things to show. I can't say our tactics, the mister would kill me...".

Would you rather lose 4-5 or draw 0-0 in this first leg?

"It seems obvious to me... I would like to draw and decide the last game in Madrid".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.