Mourinho on Atlético v Benfica: tactical switch not three at back | OneFootball

José Mourinho explained that Benfica played with three defenders, not three center-backs, against Atlético. The Eagles played the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup against the historic Portuguese football club, and won 2-0. At the end of the match, the Benfica coach spoke to Sporttv’s microphones in the flash interview.

"They’re not three center-backs, they’re three defenders. We didn’t play with five at the back, Rêgo and Dedic played as high wing-backs", José Mourinho began by explaining. The Benfica coach dismissed the idea of having used a five-man defense, explaining that the full-backs had offensive duties, which left the defensive line with only three players.

"The problem wasn’t the system, it was the attitude. But with the players I wanted to take off at halftime, I had to switch to a back four. Schjelderup also came on to take advantage of Atlético’s fatigue," the Benfica coach further explained, also detailing why he abandoned that initial tactic.

Then, José Mourinho analyzed the match and also spoke about Atlético: "In the first half they dreamed of being giant-killers, but in the second half they had no chance, the game was in our pocket. But we’re talking about a lower-tier team that did well and competed."

"I had already seen them live and I liked it. Today, a very good attitude away from their home stadium. A beautiful night for them. For us, winning the tie is normal, but we did it naturally and with merit", concluded José Mourinho, after winning 2-0 at the Restelo stadium to advance in the Portuguese Cup.

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