With Benfica preparing for a big game against Rangers in Scotland, Nicolas Otamendi is one of the experienced players they’ll rely on against Philippe Clement’s side.
The Eagles captain, who has won titles for Argentina, Porto and Manchester City, is expected to lead them in the right direction for a win at Ibrox.
Otamendi was today interviewed by Sport TV, and talked a lot about the match against Rangers. In quotes brought by O Jogo, he explained how he feels before a match like this.
“A footballer likes this kind of atmosphere. On a personal level I enjoy these environments. We need the personality to play in a stadium like this, play football, not be afraid of anything and do what we work on during the week. We know our rivals and they know us. It’s going to be a qualifying match and we hope to do our best to stay in Europe,” Otamendi told Sport TV.
Benfica had a good performance against Estoril at the weekend, beating them 3-1 in the Portuguese League, putting a bad streak to an end. Now the Eagles are hopeful that result will bring their morale up ahead of the Rangers clash and the pressure of Ibrox.
“Victory gives you more motivation, we always aim for that. There are always bad times in football. With good work and humility, any team can get out of that situation. That’s what we’re here for. The win in the league? Let’s hope it’s helped us and that it’s a different game tomorrow. We’re playing for qualification and we hope to do well. We have to have the character to play in this stadium, which is very good for playing football.”
Following the 2-2 draw at the Estádio da Luz, which saw quite a good display from Rangers, Benfica are certainly worried about the match at Ibrox, as they know they’ll have a big atmosphere against them in the decisive game.
Otamendi highlighted how this match will be important for their season, which hasn’t been going well in recent weeks.
“Well, despite the negative results recently, we’re still working. It’s football when things don’t go your way. These are stages, we have to pick ourselves up, do things the right way. Tomorrow is a key game, if we can win we’ll still be in the Europa League. We’re going for it.”
