Franjo Ivanović reveals chat with Mourinho about Benfica–Napoli: “All good” | OneFootball

Sport Lisboa e Benfica secured a convincing victory over Napoli in the Champions League, in a match that marked Franjo Ivanović’s return to the starting lineup. After the final whistle, the Croatian forward was beaming with joy at the win and the opportunity given by José Mourinho, revealing that his conversation with the coach about his inclusion in the starting eleven was brief, but enough to give him the confidence needed to help the team.

In his analysis of the 90 minutes, the player highlighted Benfica’s strong start. “We started very well, scored the first goal. We put good pressure on Napoli’s defensive line. The first half was very good. In the second, we defended more, scored the second goal, and closed out the game very well. We played a very good match.”

Regarding his return to the starting lineup, the striker did not hide his satisfaction with his personal moment. “I’m very happy to be back in the eleven. I did my best, worked hard, and I’m very happy we won today. We didn’t talk much about it [starting]. I just work hard in training. We talk every day about football, but not especially now. But I started in the eleven, so everything is fine.”

The quality shown by Sport Lisboa e Benfica even led the striker to place this match at the top of this season’s performances: “Maybe one of the best games of the season, yes, because we played as a good team, fought very well, and played with character.”

This season, playing for Benfica, Franjo Ivanović – valued at 20 million euros – has played 23 matches: 11 in Liga Portugal Betclic, eight in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, one in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup. In the 1,016 minutes he’s been on the pitch, the 22-year-old forward has scored five goals and provided one assist.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.