"We lacked efficiency": the players' reactions

João Mário and Florentino analyzed Benfica's elimination in the Europa League quarter-finals, after their 1-0 defeat (2-2 on aggregate and 4-2 on penalties) against Marseille in the second leg played on Thursday, April 18, at the Marseille Stadium, France. 

JOÃO MÁRIO

"We had our moments to score first"

"We had a small lead, but it was a lead. We controlled most of the game, the team did well. In the second half we were also good, we ended up conceding a goal through inattention and we kept trying. It was hard-fought, we knew our opponents were strong here, at home, but we had our moments to score first. It didn't happen. Losing on penalties is always sad, it leaves you disappointed, but it's part of football. [Being eliminated on penalties] I won't say it's a problem, nor will I say it's a lottery. We'll have to be more careful in the future, try another method. Sometimes happiness smiles on you and not on your opponent. That wasn't the case today. You need luck, but not everything is luck. Nothing to say about the team, because we tried. We trained, we prepared, but it wasn't our day. [Championship] There are five rounds to go, in which we have to give everything and believe until the last second. As long as we can, we'll believe. We have a duty to finish the season very well. That's what the club demands of us, and that's what we'll try to do."

FLORENTINO

"We're disappointed"

"It's not just me who's disappointed, the whole team is disappointed. We were consistent throughout the 120 minutes, maybe we didn't play the football we've played in recent games. We knew it was going to be difficult. The team did well, but the detail was missing. It's the small details that make the difference, the team was focused for as long as it could. It was a distraction in one move, which happens. We gave everything on the pitch and left with our heads held high. [How are the players who missed the penalties?] When one fails, they all fail. If they scored, we'd all score. That's why we're united. We're a team and we shouldn't blame anyone. We're disappointed. We wanted to go through. We had a few chances, but we weren't effective."