Benfica boss wants to inflict Sporting's ninth loss in 10 games | OneFootball

The coach of Benfica B, Nélson Veríssimo, expects a demanding clash against Sporting B in a derby to be played in Alcochete, with both teams level on points in the Segunda Liga table. In his preview of the match, the Benfica coach appeared confident against an opponent coming into the game with nine defeats in their last 10 matches.

"Sporting B are a very well-organized team and have a lot of talent. Maybe they have not been as consistent as in the first half of the season, but they still have individual and collective quality," he said, making it clear that he expects a balanced and competitive game.

Aiming to repeat the win achieved in the first half of the season, the coach stressed the importance of a competitive attitude: "We know it will be a difficult game. We have to have a very strong competitive mentality and know how to manage the moments of the game with and without the ball. We are preparing the match strategically to take advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses, but above all we want to stay true to our identity," he said.

Asked about the changes in the squads since the last meeting, the coach felt that the core of the teams remains the same: "The main idea is still there even with changes in the players. That ends up reflecting the identity of the clubs, and we can expect two teams looking for victory, where whoever makes fewer mistakes will have a better chance of winning," he said.

Despite the special nature of a derby, Nélson Veríssimo assured that the preparation follows the usual path: "We always look at our last game, draw conclusions, work on what we did not do so well, and build on what we did well. That is the path to our collective and individual evolution," he said.

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