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ItalianoSL Benfica travel this Saturday, 31 October, at 20:00, to the Grupo Nun’Álvares Sports Hall, in matchday 6 of the Liga Feminina Placard. The reds top the table, with 13 points from five games, while Nun’Álvares are second, also on 13 points.
SL Benfica travel this Saturday, 31 October, at 20:00, to the Grupo Nun’Álvares Sports Hall, in matchday 6 of the Liga Feminina Placard. The reds top the table, with 13 points from five games, while Nun’Álvares are second, also on 13 points.
A winning start
SL Benfica head coach Maria Martins stressed the importance of a good start: “First of all, I think it’s always preferable to start by winning. Scoring so early allowed the team to feel a little calmer and more confident in what it had to do on the pitch.”
The keys to the game
On the decisive factors for the rematch, Maria Martins pointed to defence and possession: “We have to be a very pressing team, very aggressive on the ball carrier. We have to play a defensive game of extreme quality, because it’s a team that forces us to always be at our maximum, just as we were able to be in the Supertaça. Offensively, we need quality, not losing the ball in our defensive midfield, especially in the first 15 metres, so as not to give transitions and scoring chances to the opponent. It’s about being consistent in the game, just as we ended up being in the Supertaça.”
Knowing the opponent
On knowledge of the opponent, the Benfica coach believes they hold the advantage: “This season, Nun’Álvares have only faced Benfica once. With a new system of play and new coaches, it’s always different. I think we know Nun’Álvares better than they know us. Our games against other teams are totally different from what we play against Nun’Álvares and against Leões Porto Salvo this season. We have the advantage in that knowledge of the opponent.”
Confidence in the moment
On the team’s form, Maria Martins reinforced her confidence: “We are confident. We made a sprint to be ready for the Supertaça. We won the title, which was the most important thing. The reality is that the team is confident, but there has been a certain wear and tear. I feel the team believes in what we train, we have confidence in our work. So we go into the game extremely confident.”