Benfica’s Javier Saviola has stressed that his side shouldn’t take Vitoria Setubal too lightly but also added that the Reds should be looking to win against them in order to maintain their title challenge.
Jorge Jesus’ Benfica have been one of the most in-form teams in the Primeira Liga this term. The Lisbon giants have yet to suffer a defeat in the entire competition and are unsurprisingly riding high on top of the league.
As they are on 36 points, they lie ahead of FC Porto and are on route to regaining their crown after missing out last term. The club have not only been a model of consistency in Liga Sagres but their form in the UEFA Champions League has also been commendable.
The Portuguese outfit has already secured their qualification to the knock-out rounds of the prestigious tournament and are also set to have a good run in that as well. Having drawn against FC Porto already, as well as gaining three points at the expense of Sporting Lisbon, there is little to prevent Jorge Jesus’ men from lifting the title.
Benfica have also had an easy string of games in their upcoming fixture list and should be able to grind out good results in all of them. But their first challenge is on the 14th of January when they take on Vitoria Setubal at Estadio da Luz.
Javier Saviola, who plays for the club as a forward, commented on the match and said that his side shouldn’t take their opponents lightly, as they were a physical team that would work quite hard.
“We will have to gain the initiative; we know that Vitoria Setubal is a physical team that can handle the entire match. They run a lot. We must also be more effective when we have the ball, and if we do all these things, then we will achieve victory. Otherwise, it will be quite hard for us.”
He also added that while Vitoria were quite a tough side, Benfica also had plenty of quality players at the helm and will try to win the Primeira Liga this season.
“We are well, strong and we have a great personality. We want to continue winning, so that when the campaign ends, we do not have any difficulties winning the championship,” Javier Saviola was quoted as saying.
With Benfica showing their class against the likes of Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, they have demonstrated that they can challenge any team in Europe. So securing three points against Vitoria Setubal should not be a problem.
However the club will have to be weary of the threat posed by the Sadinos and play to their strengths so that they can easily achieve victory without any fuss.
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