Still alive, Schjelderup and tactics: Mourinho after Sporting - Benfica | OneFootball

he did not hide his satisfaction with the triumph over his eternal rival, at Alvalade (2-1). However, during the press conference, the 63-year-old coach recalled that Benfica still depends on Sporting’s results in the coming rounds in order to achieve the main objective of the season. Check out everything the Special One said.

"The feeling is that we are alive in the race for second place, but that we depend on other results. That is why I was frustrated after the game with Casa Pia, because the objective was to come here and play for second place in an absolute way and not a relative one. We ended up winning and we still do not control our own destiny. Obviously, we have to win the 4 remaining games, all very difficult, but we depend on Sporting’s results. It was the last bullet we had and we did not waste it. The players played a great match in a big game. I think it is a big game. Eventually, after it became 1-1, if Sporting was happy with the draw or Benfica was happy, it would become a game of control. Rui and I knew we would go looking for more. That brought beauty to the game, an open game. I had 3 very good fresh attackers on the pitch in open play. I switched things around. When Ivanovic was playing, it was for Ivanovic to stretch the game. With Pavlidis, it was for Pavlidis to drop into a space that was becoming large and then attack spaces with Rafa and Lukebakio fresh. We were the happy ones. I think Rui also managed the game well. The equalizer comes as a result of the changes. He attacked a lot down the flanks. It is a great game. I did not see it in detail, but we are also talking about good refereeing. In fact, on our second goal, I think it is a clear penalty, but the referee had the class and awareness to let the goal happen without the need to award the penalty. Fantastic stadium, beautiful. Before the game, I had a little time to comment on that with my people".

Was Benfica luckier or tactically better?

"The big chances are ours after the goal. Barreiro’s one is a great move by Lukebakio. He appears alone at the far post. I may even be being unfair, but instead of attacking the ball with the outside of his right foot, he goes with the inside of his left, I think that is easy... before that, Schjelderup had one or two that he normally finishes. The game is rich. The fact that the draw was no good for either side gives an extra richness to the last 15-20 minutes. Under normal circumstances, imagine that the draw worked for Benfica or Sporting... it would turn into a control game instead of us making risky substitutions, we would make controlling ones. Winning 1-0, shortly before we conceded, I was almost bringing on Bah to close inside with António and Dedic outside defending as the fifth man. Sporting score and I no longer do it. It is a game that forced the coaches to go in search of the win. We could have drawn, which would be bad for both teams, but I think Benfica played a great game and deserved to win".

Schjelderup has been growing and today he stepped into the spotlight again... was he supposed to take the penalty?

"The penalty taker would always be Pavlidis, with absolutely no doubt at all. A penalty with Pavlidis on the bench, we had two players... one of them was Andreas. According to the feeling. He is in a good moment, a moment of high self-esteem. Obviously, I count on him for next season. Coaches always want to count on the best players, on those who have improved the most. In these 7 months, the players who have improved the most are the ones who go into my priorities. We knew this was a game that could be decided in the madness of the final minutes, for both sides. They could have won. Normally, when Benfica come to Alvalade, leaving with a draw is acceptable. Today it was not like that. We knew the game could be decided in that madness. Having these 3 attackers on the bench... even when Sporting were on top, you could feel Benfica could score. And that stops the opponent from being truly offensive".

You have already said Benfica have to win every game. Looking at Sporting’s schedule, from what you have seen, does your feeling tell you Sporting will still slip up?

"I do not have a feeling. Sporting play very well, they have an excellent team. Even being here and not wanting to disrespect the hosts, I think they had several games this season where they could perfectly well have dropped points. They did not, and it was not because of their merit".

What is the impact of this win? At the end of the game you point to your initials and to your head... what do you mean by that?

"Interpret it however you want. I leave it to your judgment, interpret it however you want. [The journalist asks if he cannot give his interpretation of what he did...] No. Why should I give my interpretation? They can change the narrative... Benfica have not lost any of the 5 big league games. We still have to play Sp. Braga, but let us see if we can win that one too. The impact... if there is one thing that is difficult, it is maintaining a level of ambition and professionalism when you are outside your objectives. The most natural thing this season would have been for Benfica to collapse. Because from the first day of this league campaign Benfica were never where they want to be. When they draw the first game, they are already no longer in first place. We are in the 30th round... this is something that hurts, that can demotivate you, make you lower your guard. And if there is credit to these players, it is that, even always being outside, we always kept respect for the club, the fans, for ourselves. And we keep going, resilience... and FC Porto and Sporting also kept winning. And we would win and the linesman would make a mistake and give a corner and Sporting would win. And we would win. Then FC Porto in the last minute, Fofana tripped and FC Porto won. This type of resilience is to the players’ credit, who had some moments like with Casa Pia, which is a game that kills me. It kills me because it is unnatural to what we are and it leaves us without control of anything. Sporting were the ones in control".

I got the feeling Schjelderup came off because of fatigue or some problem. Could you clarify that... then we know that as a rule you do not speak to the players after games. Did anything change today? Did you speak to them?

"No... A hug, a pat on the back. I did not go and make any speech. I know it is a derby, that it was the last bullet we had, I do not know what the part of the gun is called... as I said yesterday, even if it were in a tournament in the Algarve it is always a derby, it is different from every other game, but we have not won anything. We beat Sporting and nothing more. Tomorrow is a day off, Tuesday training and then Moreirense on Saturday".

What were you aiming for with this midfield?

"There are two different things. One is the high press and the other is dropping the block. With the low block, what we wanted to do with Ríos and Aursnes was control the game between the lines, when Pote or Trincão appear, but also track the runs in behind that Sporting do better than anyone. Sporting have four, five, six players who attack depth and I wanted the midfielders to control those movements. To do that I needed another midfielder when the block dropped and those players ran in behind, I needed another midfielder to close the central zone for me, so that when the block was low we would stay compact. Rafa and Sudakov are two number 10s who do not do that. They press up front, but they do not control what is behind them. Barreiro does. That is how he started growing at the beginning of my arrival and I knew he would do it very well. Even when it was level, I did not want to change that structure, only the front 3. And I think that is where we turned Sporting’s weakness, which is switching the striker’s role. Instead of being one to attack depth, it was one to drop deeper. And that is it... it worked well".

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