BENFICA boss Roger Schmidt insists his team will have to produce FULL functionality against Rangers.
The Portuguese side are tense after losing 5-0 to rival Porto at the weekend.
And Germany’s Schmidt has promised his side will react against Philippe Clement’s men at the Stade des Angeles Lumière in the first leg of the Europa League round on 16 p. m.
He said: “Glasgow Rangers are a great team.
“They are the most sensible in the Scottish league and they play very simple, straightforward football.
“They do a lot of transitions with a lot of deep runs and a lot of crosses.
“You have to settle for that taste of the game.
“But they’re also very much in possession of the ball and they oppose the ball a lot.
“We’re going to want full functionality, but we’re playing at home, so we have to play with confidence.
“It’s going to be a game but we have to take advantage of our home advantage. “
Benfica were rocked by this defeat in the league at the weekend.
The club’s president apologised to the fans for the result.
And Schmidt admits that the big losses were not enough and insists that we will have to react tomorrow.
He added: “Just apologise, we have to react on the ground.
“Of course, I’m sorry because we need the fans to be satisfied. We’re just here to make them happy and that’s the most important thing.
“But for them to be satisfied after Sunday, it’s not about apologizing, it’s about showing a reaction.
“And we have to show it from the first moment of the game.
“We want the enthusiasts because it’s very transparent that we want a smart result to win in Glasgow.
“So we have to show that Benfica can play those games with confidence.
“That’s what I said after the game and that’s what’s on my mind now. So it’s not in my head after a loss. I need to SHOW the fans a reaction with more football and another performance.
“That’s who I am. “
Schmidt has faced calls for dismissal and has refused to be swayed by talks with the club about his future.
He added: “I communicate to the president but it’s not for you, it’s for me and for him.
“It’s not very uncommon to communicate with him.
“It’s very evident that we were all surprised by the result and happy with the performance.
“But we have to settle for the fact that the game is over and we can’t get 3 points.
“We have to be one hundred percent consistent with Cent Ed in the next game. The solution is in education and my task is to train the team correctly.
“That’s what’s on my mind
“The last few days have been good, but in football you can’t live in the afterlife, you have to live in the supply and that’s what we’re doing now. “
Benfica star Fredrik Aursnes played with Gers hitman Cyriel Dessers at Feyenoord and is hoping his former teammate will give his defenders a night.
He said: “We’re looking forward to a game.
“I know a player there, Dessers. Es a player, I played with him in Holland.
“They’ve already shown that they’ve done very well in Europe, they reached the final a few years ago and won their organisation this year.
“It shows that they have intelligent qualities and a lot of fun and that it will be a tough game. “
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