"We were hoping to play in front of fans"

Lech Poznań is back in Europe. Although the road has been a long one, it was worth the wait. After exhilarating qualifiers, it is time for a real challenge – the group phase. First, Lech is going to face the favourite, that is the Portuguese team with the most titles - SL Benfica.

“Mostly it’s pure excitement since the pressure has dispersed when we qualified for the group phase. It was a real adventure and we made it. Now it’s time to face the best teams. We are going to play against Benfica who should be competing in Champions League, at least that’s what I think they were aiming for. However, unluckily for them, they didn’t qualify and now we can face them,” explained Lech’s goalkeeper.

When asked about Benfica’s key strength and the knowledge Bednarek has about the Portuguese rival, the goalkeeper replied without hesitation: “if you’re playing against the likes of Benfica, you know that the opponent’s strength lies in their offensive capabilities. Of course, their defensive line is solid but, overall, most of the Portuguese teams focus on the offence. I have crossed paths with Haris Seferovic when competing in EURO U-19 qualifiers; it’s been long ago but I remember him from Eintracht Frankfurt as well. I have also been following Brazilian football, hence I know a bit about Everton. So yes, I do have some knowledge about Benfica,” explained the 28-year-old.

Although the Thursday match has aroused great interest, the worsening situation surrounding the pandemic forced the authorities to close the stadium.

“The last four Europa League qualifying games we played without our fans. We were hoping that the situation improves and that we could compete in the group stage in front of our supporters. There is nothing left we can do other than accept the situation and perform at our best despite the lack of support coming from the stands,” emphasised the goalkeeper.

Just like Bednarek said, Benfica’s failure to qualify for Champions League was a real blow for the Portuguese side. Especially since they were eliminated by a team that was supposedly much weaker. “From what I remember, it was Benfica’s ex-player that got them eliminated. In my opinion, we aren’t similar to PAOK – we don’t defend as much; we are more focused on the offence and that’s how we are going to play, hoping to get the best possible result,” added Bednarek.