Pedro Neto is hungry for more success as Chelsea get set for another Champions League showdown with Benfica at Stamford Bridge tonight.
The Portuguese winger enjoyed a dream 2025, lifting silverware with both club and country. He played a key role in Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League triumph and FIFA Club World Cup win. In between those triumphs, he also celebrated international glory after helping Portugal defeat Spain in the UEFA Nations League final.
Despite a packed calendar, Neto insists he feels sharp and ready to push even higher this season.
“I’m really fresh, I feel really good,” he said. “It’s really good to be playing football week in, week out in the middle of the week, so I just want to enjoy it.
“Of course, last season was a fantastic season. I managed not to be injured and I managed to be consistent in terms of game time. Of course, collectively and individually, it was excellent, but I hope I can have much better years in the future!”
Neto already has fond memories against tonight’s opponents. He scored when Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1 in the Club World Cup last summer, a match interrupted for two hours by a storm.
But with Benfica now managed by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and boasting several new players, Neto expects a far tougher test under the Stamford Bridge lights.
“We played them during the Club World Cup, but it did not have that much intensity because the game stopped due to the weather conditions,” he explained.
“It’s a tough club to face; one of the best clubs in the world. Benfica is always in these kinds of competitions, and everyone knows that Benfica know how these competitions work and what they have to do.
“However, we are also at one of the best clubs in the world, we know what we have to do, we are focused on ourselves, we are ready to face a great club and we are ready to win the three points.
“The new manager has implemented his ideas, the players have changed a lot, so we are expecting a different Benfica with different ideas. We know what Benfica is capable of doing, but we are focused on our way of working, focused on ourselves and we really want to win.”
Chelsea’s winger has already proven he can deliver in big moments. Tonight offers him another stage to shine.
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