"It was the best version of each player, as a team, once again"

POST-MATCH

"An old-fashioned Benfica night." That's how Bruno Lage began his approach to the Eagles' win over Atlético de Madrid (4-0), this Wednesday, October 2, at Estádio da Luz. In this Iberian clash, on matchday 2 of the Champions League league phase, the Reds' gave credit to the team.

PERFECTION IN TWO WAYS

"[Perfect night?] It was perfect in two ways. This winning momentum has provided this fantastic atmosphere that we're experiencing today [Wednesday, October 2], the fans supporting the team, and this kind of environment is much better for the players to be able to put all their quality into practice. And then there's the unity between the players. That word was used to the full, of being a team. It was the best version of everyone, once again, the starters and those who came off the bench to renew the energy and keep the team in the game. It was an old Benfica night. Full credit to the players for once again understanding the strategy and game plan. That was decisive. It's special for me, and for the players, now, for the greatness of Benfica, for what Benfica has achieved throughout its history, we still have a lot to do. It was an important night for all of us, to add another victory and continue to grow as a team."

“FANTASTIC” BENFICA FANS

"That's what football is all about, enjoying the good moments, supporting the team and dignifying the game. The team is playing well, we're going to keep supporting the team, and the fans were fantastic in that sense. We scored four goals, and eventually, in the final half, we created several opportunities where we could have gone further ahead, and that was fundamental due to the support of the fans. I like that, that there's this relationship between fans and team, and that the fans support our team."

HUGE COMMITMENT FROM ATHLETES

"We're in a process of growth. We're taking a step forward, five games into footballing growth, players increasingly understanding our dynamics. More important than Bruno Lage's career is the growth of the team. The players have been very willing, without training, to spend a lot of time in a room, on the pitch, walking, or almost standing still, in order to understand our ideas better. [Set pieces] Everything has been worked on, I've just congratulated the players, because they've spent many hours watching videos, trying to figure out what kind of dynamics to use on the pitch. What we have to do is stay focused on our work, recover and take everything we've done well in the last five games into the match with Nacional da Madeira. It's important that we get there and win three more points, to add another victory to the five we've won."

USING DI MARÍA AND TOMÁS ARAÚJO

"I knew that Di María would be super-motivated, playing against friends he has on the other side of the national team. So it was about finding a space where he could put his full potential at the service of the team. That's what I asked of the players, the best version of each one, and we had a very high-quality version of Di María. Regarding Tomás [Araújo], the same situation, looking at the game and realizing that, depending on the strategy, this is the starting eleven that can give me the most guarantees of fulfilling the strategy we have devised."

PAVLIDIS AMONG A VAST ARRAY OF SCORERS

"The most important thing is for the team to score goals. I think we came into this game with 10 players scoring, today [Wednesday, October 2] we had four scorers. Pavlidis has two great chances to score. The important thing is the unity we have in the team. Eleven came in and did their job. From the moment I feel we need to renew the energy, or change something strategically, other players have come in to help the team. That's the most important thing, to look at the whole and be satisfied and satisfied with what we've done."

AN ACTIVE STANCE ON THE BENCH

"I've always been like this, I've never hidden from anything, maybe you're just looking at me more. I'm being me, living the game in the same way, and that's the best way to live each moment. When I'm there, what do I like to see? I like to see this, a team with the ball, aggressive, looking for goals, creating lots of chances. That's what gets me excited, wherever I am. When I'm in the stands, or at home watching a game, that's also what I like to see. It's living the game, watching a team and the players enjoying the game I like, with quality, creating lots of chances and scoring goals."