Sporting de Braga has 62 points, the same as third-placed FC Porto, which hosts league leaders Sporting in this round, and 11 fewer than second-placed Benfica, so the Minho team wants to go to the "Encarnados" stronghold to win with a view to a place on the podium.

"I don't think that way [that a draw could be good] and nobody in this house thinks that way. Sporting de Braga is a great club and always fights for the three points. I don't believe in going into a game, whatever it may be, thinking that a draw would be good, even though, eventually, and depending on what has happened in the 90-odd minutes, in the end we can say that a draw could be good," he said at the press conference previewing the game with the "Águias".

The coach stressed that "the demand is very high" at Sporting de Braga and that the "Arsenalistas" "want to reach third place", which forces the team to "fight for the three points" in a "very important" game for that objective: "There are four games left and this is one of the first finals to achieve it".

Rui Duarte said he expects a "strong Benfica, as always".

"They are a good team, with quality, with very high-level players, who play at home. We have analysed what we have to do to go and win the game, without any doubt and with confidence, personality and identity," he said.

The coach admitted that his team has had worse first halves, but considered that they are one of the best at reacting to this in the second halves.

"These amorphous starts are not just from now on, they are not just under my command. They can condition the game and the final result, but we are also the team that reacts best to this constraint with very well-achieved second halves. But, we are trying to change that a little bit," he said.

Asked about the contestation that Benfica coach Roger Schmidt has been the target of and whether this predictably difficult environment could be an ally for Sporting de Braga, Rui Duarte recalled the "Encarnados" triumph over Farense, on the last matchday (3-1).

"They talk about the contestation, but basically Benfica comes from a very well-achieved victory in Faro. We are only looking at the game. We are going to play against Benfica as a whole. We are going to be focused on what we can do, knowing that they will create difficulties for us. We are very confident in imposing our game and our identity in relation to what Benfica does not do so well," he said.

Zalazar was responsible for the turnaround that guaranteed the victory over Vizela, with a brace, on the last matchday (2-1), but the coach did not want to reveal whether the Uruguayan midfielder will be a starter at the Estádio da Luz, where, moreover, he scored the two goals for the Bracarenses in the 3-2 defeat in the round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup, in January.

"I feel that they are all prepared and full of desire to play these games. Zalazar came in well, Vítor Carvalho has done a good job, whoever has come in has added value, as was proven in the last game -- with the starting "eleven" we could not overcome. We have felt the team connected, with good spirit. We will try to choose the best for this game, but of course everyone likes to be a starter, even more so in these games, with incredible media coverage," he said.

Abel Ruiz, suspended, is out of the Luz game, so the coach called up Yan Saíd, a 21-year-old forward from the B team.

Sporting de Braga, fourth in the table with 62 points, and Benfica, second with 73, will face each other at 6 pm on Saturday, at the Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, in a game that will be refereed by João Pinheiro, from the Braga Football Association.