Benfica's Marco Silva: We Only Prepare to Win at Estádio do Dragão
Benfica boss Marco Silva has no interest in tiptoeing into the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday. With O Clássico set to ignite and the top of the Primeira Liga table within reach, his message is blunt: Benfica are going there to win, and nothing else.
Two points separate the sides. Ninety minutes could flip the entire title race.
“We only prepare to win”
Silva cut a firm figure as he looked ahead to the trip to FC Porto, brushing aside any notion that a draw away to the champions might be acceptable. For him, the equation is simple: three points or bust.
"There isn't a single game we prepare for with any other result than winning. Our objective is clearly to win," he said, making it clear that Benfica’s approach at the Dragão will be as aggressive as their league position demands.
Porto hold the slight cushion of home advantage, but Silva refused to let that narrative grow. He framed the clash not as a cautious visit to enemy territory, but as a direct shot at first place.
Late call on Barrenechea, clarity on Aursnes
On the team front, Silva confirmed that Enzo Barrenechea remains the only doubt, with the midfielder facing a late fitness test before the match. Everyone else, he said, is available.
He was far more definitive when it came to Fredrik Aursnes. The Norwegian has often been shuffled around the pitch, but there will be no full-back experiment this time.
"He can be a good full-back, but he'll always be an excellent midfielder," Silva explained. "We're not going to put him in a position where he's only good. We have different solutions to overcome that pressure."
The message was clear: in a game of this magnitude, Benfica will lean on players in their strongest roles, not patchwork fixes.
Tactical chess and Porto’s two faces
Silva showed he has studied Porto in detail, outlining their tactical structure in two distinct phases. He highlighted a physically imposing midfield and a low five-man defensive line that has made them the stingiest backline in the division.
Benfica, by contrast, bring the league’s most potent attack.
The duel is stark: the best defense against the most dangerous offense. Silva acknowledged Porto’s individual pressing schemes and compact shape, but insisted his side carry enough variety and intelligence in possession to disrupt that structure and create chances.
Benfica, he stressed, have “multiple offensive solutions” designed to pick apart exactly the kind of setup they expect to face on Sunday.
Echoing Farioli on refereeing
Away from tactics, Silva stepped straight into the debate over refereeing standards around O Clássico. He did not improvise his stance. He copied it.
"I'll repeat what was said half an hour ago by coach Farioli: we expect equality at all times for both teams," he stated, aligning himself word for word with his Porto counterpart Francesco Farioli.
No insinuations, no veiled digs. Just a direct demand for impartiality from the officials in a fixture that routinely tests their resolve.
No excuses from Europe
Benfica arrive from midweek Europa League action, but Silva refused to let that become an alibi, whether for fatigue or for emotional hangover. He dismissed the idea that Porto, with a full week to prepare, hold a significant advantage.
For him, the domestic focus is intact. The squad, he insisted, is fully locked in on the league and on this game in particular.
Benfica’s challenge is clear: carry their European sharpness into the most hostile ground in Portugal, against the tightest defense in the country, with the title race on a knife edge.
If they execute the game plan Silva has laid out, they don’t just win a clásico. They seize control of the season.
