Aarhus coach warns Benfica: any tie can be turned around | OneFootball

Aarhus coach Jakob Poulsen expressed confidence in his team’s ability to turn the tie around against Benfica in the Europa League play-off, despite acknowledging the opponent’s superiority and going into the match with a 3-1 deficit.

"We have to be very good, there’s no doubt about that. They are still a good team. So we have to stay focused for the full 90 minutes and I believe that, individually, each one of us will have to reach a high level", he said in Fredensvang.

The Danish coach combined optimism with realism, praising Marco Silva’s side - who cannot count on Aursnes. "The players know it’s possible, but we also know Benfica are a better team than Poznan. They are a top-20 team in Europe, so they are a top team... However, I think there were moments in the first match when we managed to challenge them. Those are the moments we need to have more of, and fewer of the ones in which they make life difficult for us," he assessed.

Jakob Poulsen did, however, rule out an all-out risky approach from the start. "Any tie can be turned around with two goals, so it’s not about risking everything until the end. It’s about trying to score, but not at any cost. Above all, we have to make sure they don’t score any more goals," he stressed.

For the coach, the key to success lies in his team having more possession of the ball. "We have to try to take the ball away from them a little and keep it. , he said.

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