Win over AFS plants vital belief in Benfica | OneFootball

The triumph achieved against AFS last Saturday, February 21, was crucial for the team. According to reports, the response given in the championship, after a week of nightmares both on and off the field, left Benfica in high spirits before the trip to Madrid.

As reported by the newspaper A Bola in its Monday edition, February 23, the victory, established with authority, against the last-ranked team in the Liga Portugal Betclic, renewed the conviction within Benfica's squad that the knockout stage is not lost and that there are still strong possibilities of qualifying for the round of 16.

It turned out to be a very different response from the one given on February 1, days after the Club of Light shocked Europe by defeating the Spanish giant and securing a spot in the Champions League playoff. At that time, Benfica defeated Real Madrid 4-2, and following that duel, stumbled in Tondela with a goalless draw. The scenario was completely different against AFS.

On the other hand, as José Mourinho had mentioned, the focus was also on the team as a whole, with Benfica demonstrating new dominance and defensive solidity at Estádio da Luz, as has been the hallmark of the Special One. To date, the eagles have conceded only 13 goals in the championship, and the match against AFS was the 12th game without conceding a goal in the competition.

It is worth remembering that Benfica is in third place in the Liga Portugal Betclic, with 55 points, three behind Sporting, which is in second place (58), and seven behind the leader Porto, which has 62 points. Having overcome AFS, the Club of Light returns to work to prepare for the visit to Real Madrid on February 25, for a place in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

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