"We always believed in a comeback": the players' reaction

Unhappy with the result, but proud of the team's performance. That was the mood of Otamendi, António Silva, Aursnes and Musa after Benfica's 0-2 loss on matchday 1 of Group D of the Champions League, this Wednesday, September 20. 

OTAMENDI

"It's not how you start but how you finish"

"We're used to having this support. Whether we win or lose, we always have a lot of support from our fans. Today we didn't manage to give them the win, which is what we wanted. Two penalties and a sending off, we have a lot to improve on. It's not how you start but how you finish. Right now, we need to have a positive mindset. It's just a defeat. Unity is strength and we'll work during the week to improve. [First 15 minutes] This is what the Champions League is all about. We made a mistake and we paid dearly. They play well, they're young, and we need to keep our heads up. The next Champions League game is against Inter, and we'll do our best to get the win and advance to the next stage."

ANTÓNIO SILVA

"We played like a team, we played the Benfica way"

"I'm here to highlight what my teammates did on the pitch. We ended up being superior at many points in the game. We played as a team, we played Benfica style. I apologize for the [red] card, I want to highlight what my teammates did on the pitch, they defended the club in an exceptional way, and that's what remains of today's game. [Penalty kick] There's no doubt that football is all about these moments of enormous speed. I had the idea that the ball wouldn't hit the post, but then when it hits the post, it goes into my arm. It's a moment for me to learn. I'm sure I'll come out of this game even more grown up, and I'm here to help. Tomorrow [Thursday], I can promise that I'll give everything in training for Benfica and, if the manager wants me to, in the next games too.[Future in the competition] Everything is open, there are five more games and we want to fight for five wins, of course. We play the Benfica way in all competitions and we'll try our best to honor the club."

AURSNES

"We had a great spirit"

"We tried to react as best we could. We always believed we could turn the result around. We didn't give up, we had a great spirit to try and turn things around, but unfortunately we couldn't do it. We have to accept it and think about the next game. [I feel it's the same, because we can win the five remaining games. I don't feel anything has changed, we're going to try to win every game."

MUSA

"The opposing goalkeeper did very well"

"The game started with two penalties in 15 minutes, unfortunately for us. After that, even with one less, we played very well. We created a lot of chances, the opposing goalkeeper was very good, but we still have five games, and we're focused on each one. [Applause from the fans] I'm sure all the players gave everything, we showed that. It was an unlucky game for us, but we need to look ahead to the next games."