António Simões recalls cinema trip before Benfica’s 5-1 over Real Madrid | OneFootball

Benfica great António Simões has revealed the squad went to the cinema on the eve of their famous 5-1 win against Real Madrid, and he has offered encouragement ahead of the next meeting.

On the road to the 1964/65 European Cup final, Benfica knocked out Madrid in the quarter-finals. The first leg on 24 February 1965 at the old Estádio da Luz finished 5-1, with Simões among the scorers.

"It was customary to do that when we were in camp, to distract ourselves and get out for a while. That way we did not nap in the afternoon and had no trouble sleeping at night," he said of the Tivoli outing, he told Record.

Team-mate José Augusto also attended and, before the film, clips of a Sporting-Varzim match and Lisbon Zoo’s lions appeared on screen. He quipped, "Not even here does Sporting leave us alone. Enough of so many lions."

Simões added that Benfica can beat Madrid and urged José Mourinho’s side not to be afraid. "You have only to gain. Free yourselves and take risks with awareness."

The match is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 January, at 20:00, and will be shown on Sport TV, the official Champions League channel in Portugal. UEFA has appointed Davide Massa, a familiar figure to José Mourinho, as referee.

Source: Glorioso 1904