Everything Bruno Lage said ahead of Alverca v Benfica | OneFootball

Having overcome Fenerbahçe, which allowed Benfica to secure a spot in the Champions League, the team now turns its attention to the Liga Portugal Betclic match against Alverca. Present at the press conference, Bruno Lage previewed the encounter with the Ribatejo team, scheduled for this Sunday, August 31st.

"The team is recovering well, and more importantly, mentally, understanding the importance of these games. The importance of winning this type of match, playing these kinds of games away from home after the Champions League. We want the 3 points for our greater objective. Alverca is an interesting team, we expect a line of 5, with a very strong attack in depth. I was even curious to see the movements of the opposing striker, he is very strong, and the opportunities he created are situations we need to control. The challenge is for the team to present itself with a champion's attitude because we need to win this game."

Central defensive duo. What is the plan for Tomás Araújo and António Silva?

"I also like to include Nico [Otamendi], he is 38 years old but trains like a young man. We have more young players working with us. I will watch the B team's game, there are players working close to us. Helping them evolve and including them in the starting 11 when necessary. They are players with different characteristics. When I questioned creativity, it was about what type we were talking about, players who dribble, make passes, shoot... I think the team has a bit of all that. What we are looking for in the market is to grow the team to be competitive. It is not an official situation yet, there are several situations happening. I will not comment on anything that is not official. When it is, I will be happy to talk."

Departure of Aktürkoglu. Did you intend for the team to change so much from one year to the next?

"I will be happy to respond when we talk about the market at the end of the window. This market considered several points, two serious injuries, which ended up being four. We had to consider players whose contracts ended, those at the end of their loans, and strengthening the team. Then I will be happy to delve deeper. Principle of agreement for Aktürkoglu? At this moment, that is the point. The appropriate people are handling the matter. Aktur was always very happy and exemplary in behavior, otherwise, he would not have helped us beat Fenerbahçe."

Considering that qualification for the Champions League was achieved, do you fear there might be relaxation? Is any player injured?

"We must have the ability, as a structure, to ensure players always feel motivated. If not, we wouldn't have managed to keep Aktur focused, you felt he was an excellent professional. We didn't have just one objective. We have several throughout the season, which is to win them all. We achieved the Super Cup, qualification, and winning all the league games. The focus and motivation are at their peak because we feel the players want to achieve the goals. We have no more injuries."

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