Benfica eye top spots as they host Napoli, coach admits: tough team to face | OneFootball

Vítor Vinha believes that playing at home is an added responsibility for Benfica, who are fighting for the top spots in the UEFA Youth League. The Eagles will host Napoli on the morning of this Wednesday, December 10th, in a match that could determine the top-6 and the home advantage in the next round of the European competition. Gonçalo Oliveira is expected to start for the red formation.

"We will face a tough opponent, as they all are, competent in all moments of the game, who take the game to duels, to individual battles. Napoli has scored 3 goals and conceded 3, which says a lot about the competitive level of the team in the sense that they know how to attack and defend. They are a tricky team that can cause problems at any moment, but they don't get destabilized much and don't give many opportunities to opponents", Vítor Vinha began by saying to BTV.

The red coach continued, "Apparently, they don't create much either, but it will force us to be highly focused and organized. We have to stay focused from the first to the last second, and then, on the field, we have to fight for it".

"Playing at home, in front of our fans, in our nest as I usually tell our players, we have an added responsibility. But, at the same time, these are the games we want, this is the kind of experience we want for our players, because this is what they will encounter in the main team if they eventually play in the Champions League. Therefore, our players need to be confident and calm, knowing exactly what they have to do on the field. And if that's the case, we will always be closer to winning", Vítor Vinha explained, concluding.

Daniel Banjaqui, a player from the red team, also spoke to the Club's official media: "We expect a tough game because the opponent has a good team and plays good football. It's just another game, we want to be in the top 6, but that's not what motivates us. We have to finish well and it's just another game to win".

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