Palhinha, Circati and Barreiro's nickname; Marco Silva on Benfica v Aarhus | OneFootball

He analyzed, in a press conference, Benfica’s 3-1 win over Aarhus in the first leg of the play-off for a place in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League. Check out everything the Benfica coach said after the victory at the Luz.

Match analysis

"A fully deserved win for our team, and it should have been by a bigger margin, given our attacking flow and the chances we created. We started very strongly, just as we wanted and asked the players to do, and we managed to score very early on through our own merit, with the way we were able to link up from the very first minute, score early and then create more good situations. The first half was of a very high level, only slightly spoiled by 20 seconds in which we took risks we should not have taken while leading 2-0. We just had to keep moving the ball quickly as we had been doing until then. We scored three goals, the opposing goalkeeper put in a great performance, and we had many more chances to score in the first half, both in open play and from set pieces. The result was made in the first half. The second half was a bit different, the opponent practically gave up pressing us in midfield, dropped back almost entirely into the last 30 defensive meters while losing 3-1, and wanted to take the game into the second leg. We had a few chances in the second half, but not with the same freshness we had in the first. In my opinion, you could feel a bit that we had played last Monday, and then some of the changes we made did not have as much effect. Once again, a very good attitude from the very first minute, pressing, playing, showing quality, and reacting at the level we also wanted. And a second half that wasn’t as good, but overall a positive performance, with a first half of a very high standard."

Aursnes returned in a game in which both Enzo Barrenchea and Barreiro performed well. Which of them will you put on the bench when you have to put Aursnes back in the starting eleven?

"You said it all when you spoke about Enzo’s and Leo’s performances. Today, in the defensive phase, we changed Leo’s positioning a little—not in a very high block, which was practically the same in our initial 4-4-2 positioning without the ball, but in more of a mid-block, we changed it a bit because of Enzo’s positioning, and tactically he played a very high-level game, and then on the ball he was also at the level of what he has been doing, he is improving, clearly growing over time, so it was a good game. Leandro has great tactical ability and then the ability to get into the box, to be there in decisive moments when the ball comes from the opposite side or when we look down the right. Very good performances from both, Leandro a little more tired in the second half and on a yellow card. Hence the change we made a little earlier, because there was the risk of fatigue; at half-time we spoke to him a bit, and then with the yellow card already there we did not want to take risks in that regard. You will have to wait and see what the starting eleven will be next Thursday, and so on."

Alessandro Circati

"Two points. Regarding Circati, if he did not have the qualities to fight for a place in the Benfica team, he would not be here. When we sign players, that is our objective, and I said it was important for us to sign players to improve what we already had. We have been playing with Tomás and Lenglet, and we needed to sign a center-back with the quality to play for Benfica. Naturally, he will need his time to adapt; he was in a league that is usually difficult for defenders. They also have good defensive principles and qualities, but with all due respect, one thing is being at Parma, another is being at Benfica because of the size of the club, regardless of having been in a physical and complicated league for defenders and forwards as well. It seems to us, and we are confident, that he will adapt as quickly as possible, and then, once adapted, he is here to fight for his place. As for the first part of the question, I know we made a mistake, but it does not seem to me that it happened because of a lack of aggression. I can describe the goal and what happened in my opinion: a moment in which we had the ball and lost it in a way we cannot afford. Talking about that ball we lost as a lack of aggression does not seem to me to have much to do with it, and then there is an unfortunate clearance inside the box. Maybe in Tomás’s situation out wide we can talk about aggression, but at the moment we lost the ball, it had nothing to do with a lack of aggression; it was simply a moment in which we could not take that risk. It does not seem to me that it was so much about that aspect. I know there has been a lot of talk about it, but in that moment, it does not seem to me that that was really what happened."

What did you think of Sudakov’s performance?

"I understand the question about the numbers and having an impact; he is our third midfielder, the midfield player who plays in a more advanced area. With the attacking flow we have had in practically every game, he knows he has to have more impact in terms of goals or assists. That is also his role, and in that respect there is no way not to agree with what you told me. I think he had a positive game, honestly, without wanting to focus too much on just one player. I know there has been a lot of talk about Sudakov. There is no guaranteed place here for anyone, nothing like that. He is a player with his own characteristics and, as a third midfielder for what we want, we do not have many players with those characteristics in our squad, and naturally he needs confidence. But forget the idea of a guaranteed spot and that he will always play. It has to do with performances, with output in training and in matches. Today I consider his performance very positive. Without the ball, at times, he almost ended up being the second midfielder with the positioning I mentioned earlier, with Enzo positioned a little deeper, and for example, if we had Prestianni or Rafa in that position, they would not be able to do what we did today with Sudakov as the second midfielder. We are here for all the players within what is our game plan and what we want for the match. In moments when we usually press in a 4-4-2, Rafa does it, and does it very well—speaking of Rafa, an excellent performance tonight. Today the plan was a little different in our positioning without the ball, and in order to have an attacking midfielder and a second midfielder without the ball, we do not have many players with those characteristics besides Sudakov, Fredrik or Leandro, who has also done it in the past."

João Palhinha

"You will have to call him, I have no idea; if you have his number, you can call him. I have no idea how he is feeling or felt. I am not going to talk about players who are not at Benfica at the moment. As for the fans, they are the most important thing. We have to make them believe; that is our duty, with results, which in the end are the most important thing in football. We know that when they were not with us, unfortunately for us, Benfica, and for this coaching staff because they deserved to have the first league game at home with a full stadium. And our opponent deserved it too, honestly. We did not have that, and that is not why we did not win the game; we put in a very good performance, deserved something more, and because of our own mistakes we could not achieve it. But this is football, and football has to be played with fans in the stadium. I want to thank them once again. I felt the stadium always behind the team, even in some moments of the second half when the game was not as intense from our side. They understood the team’s condition and in the last 10 minutes they believed again that we had to score the fourth goal and pushed the team even more. I thank them for that. We play for them; involving them in the game is the most important thing. They are the soul of this club and we need them."

You called Leandro Barreiro Leo. Is that a nickname?

"I call him Leandro Barreiro. It is more how they call him in the dressing room and I end up going along with it."

"No."

Do you realize the hope you are giving Benfica fans?

"We have to make them believe. If we do not make them believe that we are on the right path, then we are not doing our job. Results are the most important thing, but beyond the results there are things that are fundamental for them to recognize in the team and in our ambition, our desire to do things well, to win, and to make Benfica play football with a clear identity. That is our obligation. It will not always be perfect, it will not always be as I would like, as good as the first half was; we will try to make it always like that. The opponents also play. Today’s opponent caused us some different difficulties from the other two opponents we faced in the Europa League. At some moments they practically gave up, even while losing 3-1, on playing through at least 50 meters, and played in 30. And then we will have to have the ability to find other ways, be patient, and have the sharpness and intensity that the game demands from us. But it is good to feel that they are believing because that is our job. We have to bring the fans to our side and make them feel that we are on a path they like. With them on our side, we are much stronger."

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