Roger Schmidt was questioned about if Benfica is still the favorite despite suffering a heartbreaking loss to Inter in their most recent European Cup match.
is a match that has historical significance for both teams, against Inter.
The teams were partnered in the round of eight, in a bracket with plenty of available spots, along with Inter's Serie A rivals Milan and Napoli.
Any one of those four groups might aspire to reach the championship game, where Benfica has previously faced Inter.
The 1965 European Cup final was the only previous meeting between the teams, and Inter prevailed by a score of 1-0 in San Siro.
Benfica must first play the opening leg against an Inter team with a six-game losing streak in all competitions in Lisbon before traveling to Milan the following week.
Schmidt was informed that Benfica might be favorites due to Inter's recent performance, but the significance of the match was his first priority.
"We'll wait and see if it's positive or not. Drawn is drawn is drawn "the Benfica coach stated. "There is no doubt that both teams are strong and deserving of being here.
"Just take a peek at their team. They are skilled players with a lot of experience.
"Also for the players, it's a very unique game. Because it's a big game, I'm hoping my guys will be more motivated, but I also anticipate the Inter players to be so.
"They will be prepared, they will create problems, and we must find solutions and acknowledge the game's past.
"We need to attempt to perform well tomorrow and in the second leg in Milan," said the team.
Benfica and Inter will both benefit from knowing how their competitors perform versus domestic rivals. Only their third and fourth European Cup victories over Italian teams, Benfica defeated Juventus at home and away in the group stage. Inter eliminated Porto in the round of 16.
Naturally, we took the games against Porto into account, Schmidt remarked. "We did not just analyze the team in those two games, but in their entire game.
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