Benfica coach Nelson Verissimo expects his club’s Champions League last-16 clash at Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday to be an open game, even if they were held at home in the first leg.
He said his side had drawn confidence from the first encounter in Lisbon last month, where Ajax twice took the lead but ended the match 2-2, and did not believe the home side were favourites in the return leg.
”I think it will be an open game because these are two teams that like to have the ball. We are playing away, so we expect strong attack from Ajax and we need to be defensively competent,” Verissimo told a news conference in Lisbon before the team departed for the Netherlands on Monday.
”We recognise that the opponent has a lot of quality in possession, but they also have some weaknesses and it is up to us to take advantage of them.
”These are two teams that will try to impose their game. We will have to take our opportunities,” he added.
In the first leg, Ajax scored twice in the first half hour but also conceded an own goal and in the second half Benfica equalised through substitute Roman Yaremchuk.
”We conceded two goals, but for a long time in the game we were on top. We have to be at a similarly high level to get past this difficult obstacle that is Ajax,” Verissimo said.
”But we believe – as I said in the preview of the first leg, which probably a lot of people didn’t believe – that we believe we are joint favourites.
”Ajax will have to respect us, we will respect Ajax and then it’s a game of cat and mouse, figuring out where the advantage is and looking to exploit it.”
Nicolas Otamendi, Gilberto and Yaremchuk are all back from injury for Tuesday’s tie, the coach added.
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