Sporting Lisboa vs Benfica LIVE: Score Updates (1-0)

"Regarding the keywords for tomorrow's game, I haven't thought about it yet. It's a very good match against a top team in Portugal. It's the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-final, a Sporting-Benfica match, clearly a top game. Both teams have shown a lot of quality this season. I expect a really good football match. We will try our best to play well and achieve a very good result."

"Tomorrow's game is not decisive for the Portuguese Cup semi-final, so how can it be decisive? There are many games to play; it's a long season. Both teams have already earned many points, showing they are capable of reliably winning difficult games; every game in the Portuguese League is a big challenge. That's what we have to focus on in the coming weeks, until the last day of the season, as well as in other competitions. For me, it's not decisive. Of course, we always try to create the best conditions to have an advantage for the final games; we are working towards that, as are the other teams. The better we do it, perhaps at some point in the season, towards the end, we can use an advantage to win the Championship, the Portuguese Cup, or whatever. But right now, we're not thinking about the decisive phase of the season; we're completely focused on each game."

"Of course, part of our job is managing the schedule, but we've already done that in recent weeks. We tried, at the right moments, to give some rest to some players because we already knew how these weeks would be and that these games would come. At the moment, we are happy because practically the whole team is in good shape. Only Juan Bernat is out. All the other players are fit. In terms of fitness, we are in very good shape; the focus is always on each game and giving 100 percent in this game. We're not thinking about the next game against FC Porto or the Europa League the following week. We are totally focused on tomorrow's game [Thursday, February 29th]. All the players are in very good shape, and anything is possible. We'll play this game, and then we'll see the condition of the players. I have no fear about the schedule because I believe in our physical shape and our professionalism, with a view to recovery and regeneration after the games. We always do everything. The staff works very hard to support the players. We're happy to play all the challenges, and it starts tomorrow."

"I think we have different options. In midfield, we have already made quite a few changes. In our system, with two attacking midfielders as interior players, two central midfielders, and then a slightly freer role for the second forward, I think we have many different options. Of course, Rafa has almost always played, since I've been here, in the role of the second forward. He has the freedom to use all his quality, asks for the ball, and is very good between the lines. The freedom to move around the field is very good for him to be decisive. But as interior players, on Sunday [February 25th], we played with Neres and Ángel [Di María]; last year [2022/23], in the second half of the season, we played with Fredrik [Aursnes] and João Mário in those positions and were very successful. Now, João Mário has played the last two games as a central midfielder. I think we have different options, and in the end, it's always a matter of balance, a bit of the form of the players and trying to find the best approach for each game. Rafa can also play as a center forward; he has already shown that in different games. He also feels very comfortable in that position, and that gives us other options, either from the start or during the game, to change something. We try to prepare different things; we also try to be a bit unpredictable, with different options, to make things more difficult for the opponent."

"Sporting is a very complete team; they have a lot of individual quality. For every position in their system, they have very good players; the training and playing style suit the squad. They have a very good coach, are in good physical shape, and have a clear tactical approach to everything in a game. That's why they're playing so well, very reliable, very dangerous in attack. It's always like this with good teams; when they are consistently winning difficult games, then, of course, they always have something special. That's why Sporting is in very good form this season."

"To be part of the history of a club like Benfica, you have to win titles. We've already won two titles, the Championship last season, the Super Cup [at the beginning of this season], and of course, we want to win more titles. That's what we need to do, what everyone expects from us. When I arrived a year and a half ago, Benfica was in a difficult situation, and together, we tried to change something. It hadn't won a title in three years. If we look at the situation today, it's completely different. We built a completely different squad. At the moment, Otamendi, João Mário, and Rafa are still here; all the others are new. Many academy players are in our team, starting, key players for the team, other players are always options as substitutes. The value of the players for future sales is also very good. The last year and a half have been very good for Benfica; we did it all together, and we're on a good path. If we look, there have been many changes, but still, we were always able to win titles, and last season, we had a great national and international season. Benfica is in a very good moment."

"When I started at Benfica, I said that, for me, it's a very special club, with a lot of tradition, with a lot of success in the past and currently. It's one of the biggest clubs in Europe, because of the tradition, the status, for the people, for the fans, and it's now reaching 120 years old. We want to be a good part of the Club's tradition; we work for that. We play to win titles, play good football, the football that everyone expects from Benfica. Attacking football, brave football, and that's a big motivation for us."