“The ball wouldn't go in”

Captain Otamendi, Álvaro Carreras - Player of the Match - and midfielder Florentino were the voices of the Benfica, that drew (0-0) against Bologna, on matchday 6 of the Champions League, in a match that took place on Wednesday, December 11, at the Estádio da Luz.

OTAMENDI

"We were clearly dominant"

"[Close to victory] The truth is that we were clearly dominant, we were the ones who created the most goals. In the last 15 minutes of the first half, we were the ones who created the most chances, we were stronger in pressing and in controlling the ball. It's a shame, they're an Italian team, they're strong defensively, but unfortunately the ball didn't go in. It's football, we're left with the feeling that we could have taken three points, but it's football, we have to move on and look forward. [Winning dynamics affected?] No, because if today we had the feeling that we hadn't done everything we could to get the three points, I'd say yes. But no, the team worked well, today we kept a clean sheet, we created chances, that's football, the ball didn't want to go in, but we have to move on, look forward. We wanted 12 points, we've got 10, but we have to keep going. [Benfica's 10 points] No, it wouldn't change anything if we'd won today, if we'd taken the 12 points, we'd be thinking about a win in the next game. We have to play away, we'll give everything for the three points. The group is good, we have to keep going with this momentum, with this positivity, and we hope to do it in the best possible way at the weekend."

ÁLVARO CARRERAS

"We fought to the end for victory"

"We could have been better off with the three points, but we did some good things, and we have to keep working and focus on the next game. The aim is always to score, but the goalkeeper did very well. That's football. Goals will come. It was important to win, just as it's important to win every game. Benfica is like that, it's a big club, and it's all about winning. [Improvements in the 2nd half] It's the Champions League. We know there are difficult teams, we knew it would be a difficult team. But at half-time we corrected a few things and it was better. And, as I said, we tried to get the three points as always, but this time it didn't work out like that. [The Player of the Match award] The team is ahead of me, because of my personality, the team comes first. We tried, as always, to fight for victory. The other team seemed content with a draw, but we, as always, fought to the end. We'll keep working, there's still a long way to go. [Before the next Champions League matches] There are games in between, we're already focused on the next one. [Matches until the end of 2024] Regardless of the opponents, every game is important. It's about taking the field for the three points, game by game."

FLORENTINO

"The only thing missing was the goal"

[A draw doesn't taste like much] "Yes, knowing that we were playing at home, we knew that they were a strong opponent, but the three points were our goal, because we wanted to get to 12 points. We were aware of that, that it was going to be a difficult game, but the team played a good game, it was balanced. There were parts where we were down, there were more parts where we were up, as was the case from the 2nd half onwards, and I think the only thing missing was the goal and the opportunities we had. We already knew that they were going to press man-to-man almost all over the pitch, and it was their strategy, there was some difficulty adapting at first, but once we adjusted our way of playing, our outlet, our control was much greater, and it was noticeable in the 2nd half, the way we got out of tight spaces and created our chances. [Win the last two games] Yes, that's our goal. Let's look first at the first game [Barcelona] we have and then the second [Juventus]. It's Benfica's great ambition to go far in European competition, and I think we're on the right track. It's about continuing the work we've been doing, and we'll get there, that's for sure. Much anticipation for the clashes with Barcelona and Juventus] Yes, because any Champions League game is difficult, that's been proven in the games we've played so far, they've all been very tight games, although in some we've had a better result and in others we've suffered a bit more, but all the games have been complicated, and that's the proof, and we like being in this place."