One doubt, Aursnes and favourites: Marco Silva before Porto-Benfica | OneFootball

Benfica will play their seventh match of the Liga Portugal Betclic this Sunday, September 20, and it is nothing less than the most anticipated game of the season: the clássico against Porto. Marco Silva, who travels to face the Dragons on matchday 7 of the competition and with changes to the starting lineup, previewed the clash.

"We are expecting a difficult game, as all clássicos are, because of everything they involve and everything surrounding the match for the club. There are three points at stake between two title contenders. Playing away adds something extra for us, just as it would for them. But it will be a demanding game."

Aursnes and the attacking quartet

"I’m not going to give the starting eleven. Frederik has been improving and played 60 minutes in the last game. He didn’t play at full-back because we know he would be a good full-back, but he will be an excellent midfielder. If we can use him in one position, we won’t use him in a position where he is only good. He is ready for that. Tomorrow you will see what we are going to do."

Porto’s strengths

"We expect the atmosphere of an away clássico. Normally, there are no favorites. There are small advantages, like playing at home. If it were the other way around, I would say the same, because the support from the stands is always important. And Porto had the week to prepare for the game, while we did not. The atmosphere is part of it. If we want to fight for important things, we have to be used to these environments, but without going over the limit. It is a very solid team with and without the ball, strong in offensive transitions and with a very clear positional attack. They win many games from set pieces when they are being contained. Besides the takers, they have players who can finish. They do not concede many goals and they have a goalkeeper performing at a very high level. We respect them and they are a very strong team."

Fatigue and overconfidence

"I don’t think a midweek game gives anyone favoritism. I said there were two factors. The home factor in the second half of the season will be in our favor. I don’t see clássicos that way. The quality of the two teams is what will matter most, along with whoever is more cohesive and focused. These games are decided by details. There will be no overconfidence whatsoever. The opponent has not dropped any points yet, we drew under very strange circumstances and we have had many Europa League games. I see no reason for euphoria, we have done nothing special. We have been working on new processes. The opponent did not have to sell any of their most important players in the market, they are simply different circumstances. We played a great game in Milan, but it was three points and nothing more."

Fairness in refereeing

"What are strange refereeing decisions? You’ll have to ask mister Farioli next week. I don’t want to get into refereeing. I will repeat what mister Farioli said: I hope there is fairness and balance in every decision and every moment of the game. It is a very important game because it puts two of the three or four title contenders against each other. It matters a lot, there is no point hiding that, but it is not decisive."

Barrenechea’s situation

"There is that slight advantage, but there is not much point talking about it, it is the schedule. We did not know who our Europa League opponent before the Dragão would be when the schedule came out. It has been trip after trip for us, but I do not want it to sound like an excuse. It is not always the perfect week. We used the time in the best way we could to be ready for a game with demands of this magnitude. As for Enzo, we are assessing him. All the other players are ready for the game."

Would a draw be enough?

"I understand the question. We think about winning the game and there is no match we prepare to draw, but there are moments that happen within the game. But our objective is clearly to win the game."

Porto’s physicality

"That is one of their characteristics. They are an aggressive team with and without the ball. The three midfielders have those characteristics, the physical capacity of the center-backs, the stamina of the wing-backs... We have to be ready for what the game demands and give the answers we are capable of. I know it will not always be possible to maintain our identity and play the way we want, it is a battle between two teams. We try to take the game to where we can be strong and respond to what the game asks of us."

Does whoever scores first win?

"That is a good question that I do not know how to answer. We can think one thing and prepare it, and then the game can go in another direction. The match asks questions of us and we have to be ready to answer in the best possible way, whether it is a more open game or a less open one. I would like to win without conceding, but that will always be my answer every week."

"It is important for us to have several ways forward. We expect FC Porto’s strong man-to-man pressure, but we have ways to beat that pressure, whether through shorter play or by other routes. We can adjust. There is not just one way to get there. We have to be brave and respect our identity."

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