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Benatia: "Let's continue like this"

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Benatia: "Let's continue like this"
Benatia: "Let's continue like this"
Benatia: "Let's continue like this"

GOALSCORING TOUCH

"I was in the right place at the right time," were the words of Medhi Benatia on his goal against former club Roma. It has been quite the goalscoring return for the defender, who also scored a crucial goal a month prior for his country, Morocco in their crucial World Cup qualifier against the Ivory Coast.

Benatia continued, "If you don't enter the area with the desire to score, you don't score. I know that I don't have the same skills as an attacker in the box, but sometimes I succeed because I have a greater desire to get there first."

"I joked with the coach that if you need someone to play up there with Higuain then I'm available, but I don't think he liked that idea!"

WORLD CUP DREAM

"Going to the World Cup in Russia is a dream for me, and it's something that we hadn't been able to achieve for 20 years until now. Being the captain of the national team, I felt an extra responsibility and it's great to be able to qualify. I cannot wait to go to Russia, I will bring the family with me and hope to do well."

"I remember the last time Morocco were at the World Cup in France 1998. In our group we had Brazil, Scotland and Norway and we were eliminated at the first hurdle. This time we hope to make it at least past the group stages."

CONTINUITY & HARD WORK

"We must continue the way we are playing, because if you don't concede goals the team grows in confidence, and at 0-0 with the players we have we can score at any moment. With regards to our adversaries I think that Napoli will be with us until the end, I think that Roma has something more to give and Inter are a solid team. There will be three or four of us all battling for the title, but I am convinced that come March or April, when the games that count will arrive, Juventus will be ahead."

"This season I am playing more than last year, and I hope to repay the coach with that faith in me by producing out on the pitch. Here you have to work hard and if you want to play in the matches you must train well. The coach doesn't pay attention to the names, but instead follows his ideas and if he needs to make a change he does so without thinking twice. We know that we all have to give 100%, and so even in training we play with a great intensity."

THE CHALLENGE OF VERONA

"It is always tough to play against teams down at the bottom of the table, and Juve will have to give it their all. In Verona we will have to run, fight and sweat for the victory. When we play against the likes of Napoli, Roma and Inter we almost don't need a coach because we are all very concentrated, but the same needs to happen in these kinds of matches."

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