“We had a very good evening”

POST-MATCH

“An exciting game” and a “team victory”. That's how Bruno Lage approached Benfica's 2-3 victory on Wednesday night, November 27, at Monaco, on matchday 5 of the Champions League, a competition in which the eagles have “very clear objectives”: to reach the next stage.

Speaking to Sport TV and UEFA media before the press conference at the Stade Louis II, the coach revealed that the message of confidence he gave his players was “fundamental” to the result, and he was satisfied with both the starting XI and the players who came on.

"It was a very emotional game, with goals disallowed on both sides. What we're happy to say is that it's a team victory. We're going to need everyone, and today [Wednesday] is another example of what the team needs. The three strikers [Pavlidis, Arthur Cabral and Amdouni] scored three goals, and that's three very good points for us. We had a very good night, in a difficult stadium, with a very difficult opponent," analyzed the coach. 

COMEBACK GOALS FROM THE BENCH

"It represents, firstly, the quality of our squad and, secondly, what I've been saying since day one: we trust everyone, we need everyone. Playing every three days, with five substitutions, and playing games of this quality, with this dynamic, with this intensity, we need everyone. Even to tinker with the game in strategic terms, that's what happened. I'm going to make a bit of fun of Arthur [Cabral]'s goal because, really - I joke a lot with him, it was an Arthur-style 'hammering' - he does this a lot in training. In the last game [Estrela da Amadora, in the Portuguese Cup], he'd had a very good game until the moment when, around the 60th/70th minute, he hadn't scored a goal, but he'd had a very good game, in which he'd created some very good chances, both on his own and finishing off plays from his teammates. Arthur's goal started to come together at that moment when the players, his teammates, helped him, and with the huge support of the Estádio da Luz around him. This is another example that we have today [Wednesday, November 27], and that we look back on and see in the last game: with positive energy, in a favorable environment, the players feel much more comfortable to play, to correspond and to perform. This is also my way of leading: looking at them, trying to get the best out of them and then understanding them, not leaving anyone behind. Today, Leandro [Barreiro] was also very important at a certain moment for us to have control of the game. Since we started here, over the last three months, we've had the opportunity to see that whenever people come off the bench, it's to help. It's about looking at them like that and then having the courage to decide what's best for the team. Regardless of their status and what they're doing at any given time, the team's performance is the most important thing, because that's what translates into goals and points. The three points are very important to us, as I said yesterday [Tuesday's preview]."

FAIR VICTORY GIVEN THE PRODUCTION

"Right from the off, I said, a very difficult opponent, who hadn't lost in the Champions League yet. It would also be a game to test our strength and our momentum, because we've really come on from two good performances. When I look at the game and the number of chances created, I felt that if there was to be a winner, it would be us. So we're very happy." 

TEAM UNITY AND MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE GAME 

"It's a sign of confidence. Exactly, repeating what I said at half-time: 'We felt it was a difficult game. We're playing a very difficult and very competent opponent. You've seen the intensity, speed and verticality with which our opponents play and look for balls forward and deep. They had to keep believing in what we felt. Towards half-time, I was already feeling that we could have a different man, and Fredrik [Aursnes] between the lines, look for Zeki [Amdouni], who plays very well in those spaces, and make a double change with the two front men. However, I felt that the team finished the first half well, I gave them that confidence and, 10/15 minutes later, I felt that if the team needed new energy and a few changes, those would be the two changes. The team ended up responding well, we scored two very good goals, one of which was unfortunately disallowed [Bah's goal], and then when we played the last 30 minutes, I felt we had to make that change. Also because Tino [Florentino] was yellow-carded, and I felt there was a space for us to fill with Zeki. We were happy. I think it's a very even game, we had our moments, just as Monaco had their moments, but the most important thing is to look at what we did over the 90 minutes. I'm particularly pleased, because the forwards have been working hard and today [Wednesday], coming here, in an important game, and winning these three points with a goal from Pavlidis, a 'hammer' from Arthur and a goal from Zeki, is very good for us."

ESTÁDIO DA LUZ ATMOSPHERE IN MONACO

"The fans were fantastic, we felt at home. I think tonight [Wednesday, November 27] will be a very good night for them. What the players gave back on the pitch, they gave back during the 90 minutes and to everyone at the end. It was fantastic. A big hug to them, to those who are returning with us to Lisbon, and to those who are still living abroad. I'm sure that tomorrow [Thursday] they'll all go to work happy and proud, because the team really represented them very well on the pitch. A hard-working, quality team that believes until the end."