Benfica legend sets the tone for Ajax clash: "We’ll be ready…" | OneFootball

Benfica takes the field this Tuesday, November 25, to face Ajax. In the lead-up to the match between the two 'red lanterns' of the Champions League, António Simões, a former European champion with the reds, anticipates many difficulties but hopes to witness a match that lives up to the tradition that exists between the two opponents.

In an interview with the newspaper Record, the former Benfica number 11 began by recalling the history and tradition that mark the duels between the two former European champions: “We expect it to be a beautiful game, due to the tradition, prestige, and history of the two clubs.”

“Not so much because of the current quality of both teams, which is inferior. This is not disdain, it is reality,” added António Simões, acknowledging that there is a decline in talent in both the squad of Benfica, led by José Mourinho, and that of Fred Grim, the interim coach of the Amsterdam club. Both teams are struggling in the prestigious competition.

Further on, the former two-time European champion with the reds and whites points to the Club of Light as the most likely to achieve victory, recognizing that the Dutch are going through a very complicated phase: “Benfica has the conditions to win. Ajax is at the worst moment in its history.”

“Benfica needs a victory and a good game to think about advancing to the next phase, but also to give a confidence boost to the players, who have not yet performed at their best,” António Simões added, anticipating the duel between the eagles and the Dutch, which will take place tomorrow, November 25, at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.

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