Sporting warns about the derby: “Benfica is much better” – Handball

After winning at the Dragao Arena in the previous round, a red-hot Sporting team enters the action on Saturday at Pavelhão da Luz, to face Benfica in the twelfth round of the tournament. The Lions’ goal is to keep winning. “The team is performing well. What we were doing is important, but what is more important is to focus on what we can do and what we can improve. We cannot think about what we did against Porto and the things we did wrong against Tatabanya.” [derrota na Liga Europeia]. It will be a completely different match, against a rejuvenated Benfica, but very different from the one we faced in the first round, with athletes who represented teams such as Kiel and Paris Saint-Germain’s Barcelona. I’m quite sure that this team has invested a lot to be in the title discussion and that they will do their best to be in the title and know that this match is important for both teams. I would say it is very important given that Benfica is behind, but we are focusing on Benfica and not thinking about a similar match. For the one we played at home in the first round,” said coach Ricardo Costa, speaking to Sporting TV.

“Benfica is much better, they have great athletes, used to playing in big competitions and big clubs. For our part, we are a young team, but with ambition, with the certainty of the good we have done, but we know it.” Ricardo Costa added: “It will be a completely different match to the one in which we faced Benfica, because Benfica has improved and I think that even though they lost in the Europa League, they want to give another kind of response.”

The meeting starts at 7pm on Saturday in Luz and you can follow all the events on the website register.