Shone at Alvalade, plays down Benfica favouritism vs Sporting: very tough | OneFootball

Krasimir Balakov dismissed any favoritism of the lions in the Benfica - Sporting match, and explained that the derby is a game different from the others. The Bulgarian player, who shone at Alvalade with the lion on his chest, gave an interview to the Lusa agency, where he discussed the big game of the 13th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, which takes place next Friday, December 5th.

"Points don't matter when playing a derby. Of course, it's important for the standings, but it's a very special game, very different. When you lose, it's a different kind of defeat, and when you win, it's also a very different victory," Balakov began to explain.

The former lions forward continued: "I hope that Sporting wins, but the one who takes better advantage of the goal opportunities will win. There are no favorites. Whoever is more intelligent and more eager to win... will win. Benfica can also win, but Sporting has raised its level in the last four or five years."

"I really enjoy watching Sporting play. They've reached a different level, and the hope of the Sporting supporters is always very high. Therefore, I think that if Sporting plays as they know, it will be very difficult for Benfica," said the player who scored 60 goals with the lion on his chest, three of them against the eagles.

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