‘We had the same situation’ – Benfica coach optimistic despite 0-1 loss to Barcelona in UCL round of 16 first leg | OneFootball

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Benfica was quite a difficult affair for FC Barcelona as they were left with only 10 men following the 22nd minute when Pau Cubarsi was shown a red card for a tackle on an opponent who was going clear on goal.

The Blaugranes had to put in a heroic performance following that event to get a result from this game, and they were able to even get a one-goal advantage from this first leg as Raphinha scored a goal in the 62nd minute.

While this was undoubtedly a glorious night for the Catalans, it was the opposite for the hosts as they were unable to get a goal despite their numerical superiority on the pitch.

However, the Benfica coach, Bruno Lage, was not giving up on the tie despite the disappointment of facing a defeat in this very favourable game. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Portuguese coach revealed that his team will still be preparing to get a win against Barcelona next week:

“We have to go to Barcelona to win in order to advance to the next round. That was the message we sent in the locker room, and it’s with that mentality that we have to approach the match against Nacional and then prepare for the game against Barcelona.”

The Benfica coach highlighted the several chances that his team enjoyed last night:

“We started with a great chance from Akturkoglu after 20 seconds and ended the match with another excellent opportunity. In 90 minutes, there were many chances. The most important thing is to appreciate what we did against a great team and recover as soon as possible.”

Lage reminded his listeners that his team had already been in a similar situation and still gotten over it recently:

“We had the same situation with Monaco, and the tie was decided in the second leg by winning there. The result leaves expectations for the second match. Based on the chances we had, we could have achieved a different result, but that doesn’t take away our ambition for the return leg.”

As was the case with Barcelona, the red card to Cubarsi also made Benfica change their approach to the game a bit:

“The game changed with the red card. At first, we were trying to get in behind the defense; afterward, we had to push both full-backs forward and take advantage of the space on the flanks.”

While Barcelona enjoy an advantage over their rivals in this first leg, there is no doubt that there is still everything to play for in the second leg, which is scheduled to take place at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium next week.