Priske remains modest as Feyenoord trump Benfica 3-1 away: ‘I have a big nose, but I can’t smell that well’ | OneFootball

The Rotterdam club’s manager Brian Priske is not counting his chickens before they hatch after Feyenoord’s impressive victory over Benfica in the Champions League (1-3), but he does acknowledge that his team has a good chance of reaching the knockout stages after two wins in three matches. The Danish coach was full of praise for his team, and Antoni Milambo in particular, at his press conference.

The homegrown Milambo scored twice in Lisbon on Wednesday night and was also the star performer on Saturday at Go Ahead Eagles. The nineteen-year-old midfielder was voted Man of the Match and followed in the footsteps of Patrick Kluivert to grab a record.

The former Ajax striker was the last Dutch player to score in two consecutive Champions League matches at such a young age in the group stage of the 1995-96 season, when he did so against Ferencvaros (1-5) and Grasshoppers (3-0). Speaking on his ever-improving star, Priske beamed:

“I have praised him many times this season for his mentality and his character. He is maturing quickly, he is taking more and more responsibility. He is performing at a very high level, we already talked about that after the match against Go Ahead. His decisions in possession are of top quality, again today. He remains very calm on the ball. And that is very good in a match that was so intense and is remarkable for such a young player.”

The Dane continued, praising the team as a whole:

“We did everything exactly right, all the players did what we asked of them. And when we changed the system (to 5-3-2), they adapted again. The fact that we won here as a Dutch club says something about the performance of the players. We fully deserved to win this match. If you want to win away matches in the Champions League, you have to be able to sacrifice yourself for the team and suffer.”

Perhaps what is most impressive for Feyenoord at the moment, is the fact that their impressive feats have arrived after a tricky start to life for Priske in Rotterdam. The men in red and white are steadily proving themselves as one of the most dynamic sides on the European stage. Priske:

“I certainly believed that they could perform at a high level, but to play like that in an away match in the Champions League against a very good team, then you know that everything has to be right. The players are starting to understand each other better. They now know where each other is going, they communicate with each other more easily. That is an important factor if you want to perform at a high level.”

When asked whether Feyenoord can smell a place in the knockout phase of the Champions League with six points from three games, Priske responded with a quip:

“I can’t smell that well, even though I have a big nose. We remain modest and focused. There are no easy games in the Champions League, even though we have a few home games now. You have to be at your best to win, and that also applies to us. We certainly have a good starting position, but there is still a long way to go.”

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield