By Melody Gross 
Without hesitation, the Benfica coach admitted that being eliminated from the Champions League with Hammarby “was a difficult moment,” but stressed that her team “does not live on things of the past.” “We still have many goals to achieve and it is important to give an answer now. It is not a decisive match, but it is a weighty match and we will go close to winning it. If we do not want to give an answer now, we will not have the right character to be here,” highlighted Philippa Patau.
The match is from the fourth round of the BPI League, and as such, nothing will be decided, but just as there is no way to hide how “painful” a Champions League exit is, it is also impossible to underestimate the value of the team. The importance of the derby. “He will not dictate anything, several matches will dictate a lot. Head-to-head confrontations are always important, we will not deny that, but what is more important is consistency throughout the season. This is what he has done over the past few years. “Our win,” Patau pointed out, hoping to find “ A cynical athlete”, meaning playing “more direct football” and trying to take advantage of potential “chaos”.
Mentally, captain Pauleta admitted that she did not know how Sporting would perform, but left assurances regarding Benfica: “It was difficult, but we are really focused on the league and showing the value of the team.”