"It was a very good team display"

POST-MATCH

Assuring that Benfica's team gave the answer they expected after the Champions League match against Feyenoord, Bruno Lage analyzed the 5-0 win against Rio Ave, on matchday 9 of the Liga Betclic, held this Sunday, October 27, at Estádio da Luz. "The team has done a job that leaves me pleased," he claimed.

CONVICTION OF A GOOD RESPONSE

"[Emphatic win?] The importance comes down to the three points. I was convinced that the team would respond. It was a good display defensively and with a dynamic that also pleased me offensively, with plenty of chances and goals. It was a very good team display. We have to keep working, because in three days' time, on Wednesday [October 30], we have a very important match [Santa Clara, for the quarter-finals of the League Cup] that we want to win, because it's one of the club's objectives."

THE IMPORTANCE OF PAVLIDIS' MOVEMENTS

"[Clumsy Pavlidis?] I didn't feel he was clumsy, and [he was] always very well positioned in the first half. I've just seen the moves, and there are moves where it's essential for the striker to enter and be in the finishing area, in the small area, to give the other players space. In the second goal, there's Pavlidis' first move, and then there's Aktür's second. These are all dynamics that we have to create, particularly when you're playing against a line of five defenders, with three very strong central midfielders, but then offering space to other players, as was the case with Aktür [Aktürkoğlu]. So the most important thing is always to look at the team as a whole. It was a display that pleased me in that respect, once again also with people coming off the bench and helping the team to have energy, consolidate the display and score two more goals to make a result that we're happy with." 

EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE

"Everyone deserves a lot, we have a huge squad, this is my sixth/seventh game, the players who come off the bench have helped the team in their performances and results. For example, today [Sunday], Tino [Florentino] didn't play. Has he lost his place in the team? No, these are issues where we have to analyze performance and what's best for the team at each moment. Today [Sunday], we felt we could do without Tino [Florentino] and we used Pavlidis again, because he was the right striker to make certain types of movements depending on the line of three [central midfielders]. We're very happy with Arthur [Cabral], we're very happy with the work Zeki [Amdouni] has been doing, and Zeki [Amdouni] can be used in various positions up front. It's up to each moment, and playing every three days, there are no guaranteed places or places at risk. There is a concern about what the team has to do. If the players are selected for the eleven, they have to make their contribution; when they come off the bench, they have to help the team continue to produce the performances and results we've been achieving, as we have so far."

VALUING THE WORK OF THE COLLECTIVE

"[Goals from Aktürkoğlu] For now, there are several issues here. The first is to value the team, because we feel that he [Aktürkoğlu] has been getting into positions and the team is interpreting his movements very well. The goal he scored with his head [2-0] is similar to the one he scored against Santa Clara [a 4-1 win on matchday 5]. It's about realizing that he's an athlete who, in short diagonals and small spaces, can appear inside the box. That's why he needs someone to serve him well, like Kökcü did in that game [Santa Clara] and like Di María did today [Sunday] in that play[2-0]. Being Benfica's coach means having talented players like him and all the others. That's why I value the team as a whole. At the moment, he's important because of the goals he's scored, but the team has done a job that I'm happy with. I feel that this team can still grow, with time, games and training."

SCHJELDERUP “MAKING HIS WAY”

"[Special celebration for Aktürkoğlu's hat-trick?] No, we celebrated the victory. These little individual highlights, especially from the youngsters... Of course it's important for Andreas [Schjelderup] to score, but the most important thing is for him to feel confidence from us and to keep working, because it's not easy to represent Benfica, regardless of whether he's nominated for the Golden Boy or not. He's a young man with enormous talent, like many others. The important thing is for him to keep training, to make his way calmly, and at every moment to reciprocate."