"A very good result, in a good display"

POST-MATCH

In Benfica's return to the Liga Betclic, between the two meetings with Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, the Eagles beat Nacional 3-0 in round 25 of the competition, held on Saturday, March 8, at the Estádio da Luz.

For Bruno Lage, the Reds produced a “confident display”. “I think it's a very fair victory. The first 45 minutes were really good, we created a lot of chances against Nacional, who have been growing,” said the Benfica coach in a quick interview with BTV. 

In the second half, the ascendancy continued: "And a 2nd half in which we controlled the game, continued to have good chances and could have scored the 3rd goal sooner. But what remains is a very good result, in a good display, a solid display, regardless of who played, and once again the whole squad matching up, because really, from Samu [Samuel Soares] to Zeki [Amdouni], who scored, with all the changes we made, the players matched up to the full." 

MATCH ANALYSIS

"[The importance of scoring early] Yes, it's always important to score. First, I'd like to express our condolences to Barcelona [on the death of the Catalan first-team doctor]. Then, before we talk about ourselves, I'd also like to highlight Nacional's display, because they really were a very secure team, and that also goes to highlight our first half. I think we had a very good first half, with a great dynamic, we created several chances and I feel we could have gone in at half-time with a different result. I'd also like to congratulate the three goalkeepers, because Lucas França... we've recently got into the habit of giving the opposition goalkeepers good displays.Then Samu [Samuel Soares] really put in a very good display, apart from the penalty save, he was always very assured in his interventions, both defending and attacking. And then Trubin, both at the end of the first half and at the end of the game... Being Samu's teammate, as soon as the game is over, as soon as the first half is over, or the second half is over, going to Samu, and all of us together. That's been our team feeling. To finish a game with a solid display, with four kids - four kids, some of whom aren't kids anymore - Samu, António [Silva], Leandro and Renato [Sanches], all of whom were home-grown. And then a very good result, 3-0, possibly with my father's goals, which he'll tell me afterward, 3 plus 3, we'd win by 6."

LEANDRO WITH A “VERY SECURE AND GROWING DISPLAY”

"[Analysis of Leandro's display] A very secured and growing display. We have a lot of confidence in him and, whenever we feel he's the right man to play, we're not afraid to put him in."

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION AND THE “IMMENSE OPPORTUNITIES CREATED”

"[Did Lucas França put in an eye-catching performance?] I think he did, I really saw two or three very good saves from the goalkeeper, and I also saw two or three saves from the center-backs taking very good balls away. So the most important thing for us is the way we play offensively and the chances we create, and we've really created a lot of chances in the last four games."

"CONTINUE TO GIVE EVERYONE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE"

"[Does António Silva need everyone's support right now?] SRegarding António's situation, I don't think it's just António, all the players have to feel the protection and affection of the fans. It's been like that since the beginning, we have to keep giving everyone a lot of confidence, that's how Pavlidis has done what he's done, working for the team and now scoring back-to-back goals, we have to look and always give the team a lot of confidence, because I really feel the team is safe, calm and with a very good mentality in terms of competition and then with a very good union within the locker room, that's very good for us."

ROTATION AND THE EXAMPLE IN GOAL

"[Is Samuel Soares number one? Who do you have more confidence in for Barcelona?] No, it's Trubin who's going to play Barcelona. No, my daily observation of the work is of everyone's work. And this isn't putting Trubin in Samu's position, it's putting Samu in Trubin's position. I've been looking a lot at Samu's work, the shadow work he's been doing, and that shadow work he's been doing also puts Trubin in his senses and working. Trubin had a fantastic display against Barcelona, that save in the 20th minute was three by a goalkeeper of the highest standard, but when we feel that we also have a young goalkeeper like Samu, and what's more, we have two, but we also have a kid who is doing a fantastic job with us in training and in the 2nd League, that's André [Gomes]. Liga, which is André [Gomes], so it's looking at Samu and feeling that if we can change because the competition space... we left the Barcelona game for today's game and played with less than 72 hours, why not also let Trubin recover, take his focus off the game so he can recover and be available to play Barcelona? And that gives us a guarantee because the players we have, not just Samu, but the other players we have in the squad, are really working hard, and we see a lot of people at the same level."