"We lacked greater control of the game with the ball"

POST-MATCH

In his analysis of Bayern Munich-Benfica (1-0),from matchday 4 of the Champions League, Bruno Lage assumed the strategic options in the duel and pointed to the clash on Sunday, November 10, against FC Porto, in matchday 11 of the Liga Betclic, at 8:45 pm, at Estádio da Luz.

THOUGHTS ON THE NEXT GAME

“I've already spoken to the players, this was my strategy, I told them this was my idea. I felt that if we could get away from individual references and have more of the ball, it could work. We've finished this game and we're already thinking about FC Porto, which is a very important game for us. We have four games and six points, and four games to go. That's what we have to worry about. That's the math at the moment. It's done, now we have to think about FC Porto."

THE STRATEGIC OPTION

“The data regarding possession has been frequent for Bayern at home. Bayern were the team that scored the most goals in Europe and today they were overtaken by Barcelona. We knew we had to defend two strikers, players who are very strong one-on-one in the wings, and we had to prepare the game that way. But our strategy was aimed first and foremost at the offensive moment, so that when we had the ball, we had more quality in possession. That's why we brought Fredrik [Aursnes], Kökcü, Renato [Sanches] and Aktürkoğlu into the center of the pitch. Always keep two men open, either Issa [Kaboré] or [Álvaro] Carreras. That was our intention. I think that's where we could have taken advantage of, having a bit more possession, a bit more control of the game, coming out in transition and realizing that, when there's no chance of continuing, we should stop the game, come back, so that the team spends more time in control and has possession of the ball. Eventually, at one point or another in transition, we could have been more perceptive, especially when, in an attacking situation, Bayern's defensive line left them with only one on one and we could have forced that kind of situation. I take responsibility, because that was my idea: to bring people into the game, with a diamond formation, and to take away a bit of our individual references at Bayern, because they are very strong in individual references and in defensive duels, 1x1, the way they get there first and smash. Because that's the word, smashing.. We tried to find neutral zones to control the game, but we didn't manage it. There was respect when Bayern had the ball, but then we lacked greater control of the game with the ball.”

LACK OF POSSESSION PENALIZED

"[Interventional due to nervousness of the team?] Curiously, it wasn't even that. I was trying to communicate with the players, in the defensive moment, so that we always kept two players up front who didn't move down so much, and to be stronger in pressing. Both Zeki [Amdouni] and Aktür [Aktürkoğlu]. Then, when it comes to attacking, it's about the team being calm and having the game. We knew at the start that the game was going to be very strong, with very strong energy, and then we just weren't able to have the ball, and we have to accept that.”

TACTICAL SYSTEM AND FLORENTINO'S ABSENCE

“It's not a defensive system, because our intention was to attack when we had the ball. Don't see the three-defender system as a defensive system, because our intention was to have [Álvaro] Carreras and Issa [Kaboré] as two wingers and a diamond in midfield, so that we had the ball. It would have been more defensive if, in addition to the three defenders, I'd put Tino [Florentino] in to win the ball back. What we wanted to do was make the three of them comfortable to control the two forwards and then have midfielders to pass the ball around. We knew that, with the five of us defending, we'd be calm, and we just needed players to have the ball, to progress with the ball, and that's what we lacked.”