Rio Ave boss plays down draw against Benfica: nothing that defines us | OneFootball

Sotiris Silaidopoulos, coach of Rio Ave, was satisfied with the 1-1 draw at Benfica’s home, but he ‘downplayed’ the result, reminding that it is just one point. At the end of the match, which featured a very controversial incident, the Greek revealed the strategy he set up to play at Estádio da Luz and called for focus on the next game.

“We knew it would be tough, in a historic match for Benfica as it was José Mourinho’s first here. Our plan was to stay strong in the first half and then make changes in the second to try whatever was possible,” Sotiris Silaidopoulos began by saying, in statements to BTV.

“Of course, in these games we have to show our best version and many of our players did that, especially in terms of dedication and team spirit. It’s important, but it’s not something that defines us. We have to stay humble,” added Sotiris Silaidopoulos, downplaying the draw at Benfica’s ground.

“We know who we are and where we’re going. We’re in a process, with the team growing. Just because we drew here doesn’t mean we’re the best team in the league, and if we had lost, we wouldn’t be the worst. We have to keep working as we did here, because everyone believes and that gives us strength. Good things will come,” concluded Sotiris Silaidopoulos.

Despite the draw against Benfica, Rio Ave remains in a very difficult situation. In the six matches played so far in Liga Portugal Betclic, Sotiris Silaidopoulos’ team has only four points (one win, one draw, and four losses), sitting in 15th place in the competition.

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