"Advancing to the next round" in France: the players' reactions

Di María, Florentino and Tengstedt analyzed the match between Benfica and Marseille (2-1), in the 1st leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, which took place on Thursday, April 11, at Estádio da Luz. 

DI MARÍA

"We did things well, the result is a bit unfair"

"The match was difficult from the start, but we did things well. If a team is in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, it's because they have the players to make a difference. We saw it in the other games, Atalanta won 0-3 in Liverpool... That's football, it happens. I think the result is a bit unfair. The important thing is the 2-1 lead, a one-goal difference, and we're going through to Marseille. [French wobbles] Yes, Marseille aren't doing too well in the league, but they're in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and that means a lot. [Dreaming of winning the Europa League] Yes, it's important. Not just for me, but also for the club, for this team and this group of players, who are doing a great job and fighting for the goals. We have to fight until the end, always. [Tribute to Sven-Göran Eriksson] He's a legend. The tribute at the stadium was more than deserved."

FLORENTINO

"Continue on our way and work as hard as we can"

"We know [Marseille] are a tough team, especially at home, where the fans have a good atmosphere. We're going to prepare as best we can. Now, we're going to focus on the next league game [Moreirense, this Sunday, April 14, at 8:30 p.m.], and then we'll prepare for the game calmly. I'm sure we'll have a positive result. [Fans present in France] It's always important to have them with us, because with them, we're stronger. We'll continue on our way and work as hard as we can to get through this tie."

TENGSTEDT

"Every victory is a good result"

"We won 2-1. Every win is a good result. We were hoping to keep a clean sheet, but we won the first leg. It's all open for Marseille. We were in control of the game. We could have done better, but this is the quarter-finals of the Europa League and all the teams have quality. We lost the ball at one point, and they ended up scoring. That's football. We have a top team and everyone in the squad is ready. It's a good time to get a win on Sunday [against Moreirense] and prepare for the trip to Marseille next week."