Benfica and Dortmund have suffered recent setbacks but remain wedded to their attacking styles, a prospect that could mean no shortage of excitement in Lisbon.
Rui Vitória, Benfica coach
Jonas is in the squad but he’s at his limit and will have difficulty trying to make the game. We will test him on Tuesday and see where we are. If he recovers, he’s in; if not, someone else plays.
We’re up against a strong team, a tricky side that can count on that characteristic of impressive attacking power. Along with that, they change their system frequently yet they don’t drop in intensity.
The key is to study the small details of our opponents and try to control them, all the while trying to stick to our way of playing. We are going to be ambitious and believe in ourselves. Dortmund must also be careful against a team like ours.
Thomas Tuchel, Dortmund coach
It’s a big task against a great team with a proud history and a spectacular stadium. Benfica are very strong at home. We must keep our shape and make sure our timing is spot on. We must be quick in transition and accurate in our passing, all the while being very wary about leaving space for Benfica.
We had an unexpected slip-up [against Darmstadt] at the weekend and we have tried to lift the confidence of the players ahead of this game. Scoring goals is always our objective. We encourage the team to score as many goals as possible; it forms part of the club’s character to have an offensive mentality.
Possible line-ups
Benfica: Ederson; Semedo, Luisão, Lindelöf, Eliseu; Fejsa, Pizzi, Salvio, Carrillo/Almeida; Jonas, Mitroglou.
Dortmund: Bürki; Piszczek, Sokratis, Bartra, Schmelzer; Weigl, Castro, Raphaël Guerreiro, Dembélé, Reus; Aubameyang.
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