Tremendous fight for the dream and the support from the fans

MATCH HIGHLIGHT 

Great win from Benfica, nothing was left undone on the pitch and in the stands of the Johan Cruijff Arena, in the name of the qualification, six years later, for the quarterfinals of the Champions League! In the 77th minute, the moment of brilliance: Darwin scored the goal that, 53 years later, allowed the Reds to win again in Amsterdam (0-1) and eliminate Ajax for the first time. "We gave everything," summed up the goalscorer, the "Man of The Match".

Darwin: "The team gave everything!"

"It is a unique feeling to go through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League in my first time in the competition. It was a difficult game, but we had to run, we all did, we had to defend and attack. The group showed that it is very united, I am very happy for my teammates, we gave everything."

"It was very difficult, we played against a quality team. We knew we were going to suffer, we had to defend well and take advantage when we had the ball. I am happy for the victory, the team gave everything. We thank the fans who were here to support us, to give us strength."

Otamendi: "When you defend well..."

"It is a great joy. The Champions League is a different competition where you have to pay attention to detail. We may not have played the best game, but the team's commitment in defending was impressive. Everyone is to be congratulated, they gave their lives to defend the result, to attack and get the goal. I am very happy! In this kind of competition, when you defend well, at some point you will have space to attack and find the goal. That's how it was, in a set piece we found the goal. We went through to the quarterfinals, we will try to move on. We know the quality of the teams, but in the knockout stages everything can happen."

Weigl: "The fans pushed us to victory"

"I ran a lot, I'm very tired but very happy! We know it wasn't our best game with the ball. Ajax is very strong in possession, we had to fight, run and wait for our chances. We had that chance, we scored and what counts is that we are through to the next round. Our fans [about three thousand] pushed us to this result! I am very happy to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League with Benfica."

Everton: "Tactically flawless"

"We knew it would be a very difficult game. Ajax was one of the best teams in the group stage. Playing at home, we knew how strong they were. We played a very good game tactically, we knew how to suffer when we had to, and we had a great fighting spirit and delivery."

"We know that there are games in which we have to be tactically flawless, today was one of them. Me and the men in front, who usually have more ball possession, knew that we would have to defend more than attack, but what matters is the sacrifice for the sake of the team, and it paid off. We come step by step, we are among the eight best teams and we have been able to show our strength in the Champions League."

Gilberto: "This is exciting!" 

"In a game like this, I knew I would have few offensive opportunities. If I attacked, Tadic would be at my back waiting. I tried to stay more and wait for an opportunity. The important thing is that the team got the victory with Darwin's goal. We will work with a lot of focus on the quarterfinals to be able to go through once again and give another joy to our fans. It is exciting to fulfill this dream!"

Grimaldo: "To be back in the quarterfinals is special"

"Antony [Ajax's right winger] is one of the best in the world, very agile, fast and with a lot of quality, but this wasn't Grimaldo against Antony, it was Benfica against Ajax. We went through, that's the most important thing. To be back in the quarterfinals with Benfica is a dream, I feel special things."

Yaremchuk: "We fought for our dream"

"We have an excellent group, excellent players, with a lot of quality. We had the dream of going through and we all fought for it on the pitch. It was a tough game for us, yes, but we are going to the next round. Ajax has a pressing style of play, it was important for me to be able to hold the ball, create spaces for my teammates and try to score. We scored and won, that's the most important thing."