José Mourinho issues warning before Benfica v Nacional: We need... | OneFootball

appeared at the press conference to preview the match between Benfica and Nacional, in the 29th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic. In the press room at Seixal, the Reds' coach - who admits he could leave Luz - praised the island side and stressed the need to win points.

"Nacional. You're right, they need points, not desperately, because they are outside the relegation zone and the possible playoff zone, but they are close and need points, and it is a team that, since the start of the season, has played for points," the Benfica coach began by saying in the build-up to the match.

"It is a well-coached team that knows how to defend very well, with four or with five; in my opinion they defend even better when they sit in a low block. The permissiveness towards a drastic reduction in effective playing time is one of the characteristics of our league. It is a dangerous team on the counterattack," José Mourinho acknowledged.

"It is a good team and, if we focus on the results they have had against the teams at the top of the table, I think they won in Braga, but they had very evenly matched games, if not in terms of play, then at least in the result, and that is what I expect: a team coming to play for a point, without losing sight of the possibility of taking points," added the Special One.

"We really need to win, for every possible reason and then some. We really need to win. I read some of the most striking remarks from Tiago's press conference, where he says he expects a reactive Benfica after the last performance and result and, obviously, that is our intention," José Mourinho concluded, as he defined what Benfica need against Nacional.

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