"The fans were always with us"

Aursnes analyzed Benfica's draw (2-2) in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals against Sporting on Tuesday night, April 2, at the Estádio da Luz.

Stressing that the Reds' goal was to "go to the final" of the Portuguese Cup - a goal made impossible by the one-goal loss in Alvalade in the first leg (3-4 on aggregate) - the Norwegian midfielder said that the team had "played a good game" and had given their "best". "Unfortunately, we didn't manage to win. That's how it sometimes goes," he said to RTP.

In a derby hosted by a Cathedral where 59,113 spectators were present, Aursnes highlighted the strength of the Benfica fans, who supported the team beyond the final whistle.

"They helped us a lot. I feel like they were always with us, they helped us carry, and that gave us a lot of energy. It was amazing, and it's a good feeling, of course. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to win, and it's disappointing," said the eagles' No. 8.

With no time to lose, there's a new derby on Saturday, April 6, at 8:30 pm, in the opponents' home ground, on matchday 28 of the Liga Betclic.

"We're going to focus and give 100 percent in every game. We have an important match on Saturday, and we'll try to recover well," said Aursnes.