“It was a great game, a great atmosphere”

STATEMENTS TO BTV

The author of two assists in Benfica's 4-1 win over Santa Clara, Kökcü was named Man of the Match in the Liga Betclic round 5 match, held on Saturday, September 14, at Estádio da Luz.

In a quick interview with BTV, the Turkish international highlighted the way the Eagles were able to respond to the Azoreans' opening goal.

"We didn't start well, we conceded the first goal, we were still looking for the best approach to the game, and after 15/20 minutes, we got the ball and started to play our game. It's a new cycle, coach, and energy for everyone. We're trying to do our best for the club. We could also see that the fans were with us, supporting us, and it was a great game, a great atmosphere, and we're happy with the three points," said Kökcü.

His return to the Portuguese pitch, after the international break, also merited a mention for the center-midfielder, who recorded a pass efficiency of 84%, as a result of 67 successful attempts out of 80, according to data from the Sofascore platform.

"Everyone wanted to play again, we had to show it... we weren't doing well before the international matches. We're all ready to give our all, we're happy because we played a great game, and now we're fully focused on the Champions League," he analyzed, looking ahead to the next clash with Red Star, valid for matchday 1 of the league phase of the European competition, on Thursday, September 19.