"It's 60 minutes that can't be repeated"

POST-MATCH

Bruno Lage lamented Benfica's “unacceptable 60 minutes” in their 3-1 defeat to Casa Pia on matchday 19 of the Liga Betclic, that took place this Saturday, January 25, at the Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior.

MERITS AND DEMERITS

"We anticipated a difficult game, for various reasons. The quality of our opponents, the way they've been playing. The fact that it's a game after the Champions League, the fact that it's away. But I wasn't expecting a game like this from us. Particularly in the second half, or from the moment we conceded the goal [1-1]. But we had a good start to the game, 30 minutes of quality. FWe scored a goal, we had a ball hit the crossbar. But then we couldn't be the team we were in the first 30 minutes. That's to our opponents' credit, but it's also very much down to us. We're making some mistakes that, unfortunately, we're repeating. On the one hand, unfortunately, we haven't had as much time to work on them. But on the other hand, even if we don't train, it doesn't justify everything. There are things we have to change quickly, because these are three precious points we had to win, no matter what. So today is the day to look at our fans and apologize. Because they [the Benfica fans] had a fantastic 90 minutes supporting us, but the team only responded for 30 minutes."

TRANSITIONS ALLOWED TO OPPONENTS

"[Mistakes] The way we conceded the first goal, the way we conceded the third goal again. Anyway, the last goal against Barcelona weighed on us and cost us so much, and today [Saturday] we conceded the same goal. Because of the balance, because there wasn't a foul to stop the game. We constantly allowed transitions from one goal to the other. We've been working hard on it, we've talked about it a lot, but unfortunately there are things that don't change just in training, and we lose in repeated situations. Looking at it in a very honest and very cruel way, from the time we came first [place] until today, the way we've conceded goals is unacceptable for a team like Benfica."

MAXIMUM DEMAND

"[President leaving “visibly angry” after the 3-1] We all left angry, especially me. Don't get me wrong [the journalists], I'm angry, it's nothing to do with you [the journalists], you're doing your job, but today [Saturday] was 60 minutes that we can't repeat. That's what I'm sorry for, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but it's really for people to understand that it's 60 minutes that can't be repeated, and we have to quickly get back to an acceptable level of display, because the demand from me, and the demand from the fans, must always be maximum. And there are things that, unfortunately, cannot be accepted, and those 60 minutes cannot be accepted, because today we had to win this game."

ERADICATE ERRORS WITH WORK 

"[Changes] I'm talking about the coaching staff and the players. We are the ones who work, who are there every day and who play. If we keep repeating certain mistakes, we have to change. We've made a mistake again in our build-up when the game is in our hands, we've made a mistake again in a moment of transition when we have to make a foul to stop the game. Our opponents make a lot of fouls, and we have to have that ability, we have to have that experience. When I say everyone, it's me as coach, my staff and the players."