Rafa previews Benfica clash: “Winning matters more than a dazzling display” | OneFootball

After the defeat in the Continental Cup final, FC Porto shifts its focus back to the National Championship: the 3rd round features a classic match against Benfica (Wednesday, 6:30 PM, Porto Canal), at the Luz Pavilion in Lisbon. Expecting a Benfica “very similar to last season,” meaning “a very intense and well-organized team,” Rafa wants the Porto team to maintain “calm and focus on what really matters.” “It's always a difficult venue, but we have our weapons, and maybe it's the ideal game to change this phase we're in and start a series of good results and performances,” added the blue and white number 9.

Two defeats in the last three games“Just as we can't carry the good things into the next games, especially since it's another competition, when we lose, even more so. We need to regain good feelings, and we know we have a very challenging game, but we will do everything to be well and to win. We want to overcome this bad moment as quickly as possible. We will do everything to turn this around.”

The usual Benfica“We are expecting a Benfica very similar to last season. They had few changes, a change in goal, and they are still missing a very influential player who was injured at the end of last season. It's the same ideas, a very intense and well-organized team, which hasn't conceded any goals in the championship yet. It's always a difficult venue, but we have our weapons, and maybe it's the ideal game to change this phase we're in and start a series of good results and performances.”

The team's focus and the support of the fans“We know that we will most likely go through difficult moments in the game, but it's up to us to stay calm and focus on what really matters and what we have to do. We have 50 minutes to win the game, it doesn't matter if we're winning at the start and then can't secure the victory. We want to bring the three points to Porto.”

The regular phase is important, but not decisive“The regular phase is very important, but our experience last season tells us it wasn't decisive, as we managed to reach the final and win the title after finishing third in the regular phase. Having home advantage is very important, I don't deny it, and it can tip the balance in a playoff. Above all, we have to win. More than putting on a brilliant performance, we have to win the game.”

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