After the clear victory over Portimonense, in Algarve, for matchday 29 of Liga NOS, Pepe was the spokesman of the blue and white ambition. The Portuguese international defender praised the reaction of the team after the fatigue accumulated from the European match on Tuesday, and praised the strong spirit of the group and the desire to win the title again.

Challenging match
“I believe the team did well. After the match for the Champions League, it was important to play well, stay focused and react. It was a difficult pitch, we had to work hard, but congratulations to the team, for managing the match well.”

Moving from the Champions League to the championship
“The humbleness in the group has been making the difference. Everyone wants to play to honour the blue and white shirt. Today, we showed that, regardless of who plays, everyone helps in the fight for the title.”

Pressure on Benfica
“We believe in our work, and proved the team is strong. After travelling there and running a lot in that match, coming here to Algarve, with this heat, and win the way we did, it just shows that we have a strong spirit and are eager to become champions.”

Importance of the group
“What matters is that I feel well and happy, as people treat me with kindness. We have several internal and external objectives. As for the Champions League, we have to finish the round and try to turn it around.”