– How does the “Benfica” coach evaluate “Bayer”, taking into account the fact that they were champions of Germany two seasons ago?
-–Similar tactical scheme, very similar scheme in terms of attacking organisation, with some other players replaced with players with a very similar profile.
This is a difficult team that started the season not very well, then they changed the coach, then that coach needed time to find himself and they started playing better. If you look at the Champions League and the standings, both teams need points, not only us, but they too, so we have a very difficult game ahead of us, and so do they.
– Is it easier to work in this victorious period?
– I cannot say whether it is easier to work after a victory or a defeat; sometimes everything is different. Sometimes winning moments bring relaxation, sometimes negative moments cause a strong desire to win again and change the situation.
We’ve already got over the downside of the Newcastle defeat and the reaction has been really good; we managed to win three matches in a row. The Champions League is, of course, a different context and the level of the opponent is completely different.
– You spend a lot of time in Seychelles and even spend the night in the training center. Does Leverkusen give you insomnia?
– Insomnia? Just yesterday because the boys were quite noisy, it was about 11pm, they were still playing, still listening to music, only they gave me insomnia. It’s not even insomnia, but a lot of work, rather, yes, a lot of analysis of the opponent. And trying to draw conclusions about my team as the range of options expands along with the confidence they give me.
– Will this match against Bayer Leverkusen be an all-or-nothing solution?
– The situation is absolutely clear: when the game is over, there will still be 12 points to be scored. Even if we have 0 points, we can score 12.
– Leandro Barreiro’s importance has increased, is this a warning sign for Sudakov?
– Barreiro is playing well, he had many quality matches. However, I do not think that Barreiro is threatened by Sudakov and vice versa. Because both of them can have a great game, but it could also happen that both of them stay on the bench. These are different players with different profiles.
