Criticism, Durán and António Silva: Marco Silva on Benfica v St Gallen | OneFootball

was at Thursday’s press conference previewing Benfica’s game against Benfica St. Gallen at the Estádio da Luz, in the second leg of the Europa League’s second qualifying round (trailing 2-1). Check out everything the Benfica coach had to say.

What needs to change for Benfica in the second leg

"We have to be stronger collectively. I think that’s the main factor for this game, and the first one had it too. We need a performance that allows our qualities to rise above the way the opponent plays. We allowed the game to become too focused on individual duels, which is a situation the opponent is very comfortable with, and we have to be able to control the game, be a team with longer spells of possession, and also have the ability to disrupt the opponent, without letting the game become so much about trading blows, which happened many times during the match, with too many transitions. There was no need to force things and we did, that is the main aspect we have to improve compared to the first game, and then we have to start the way we are expected to at home, being behind in the tie, so that we can send a message to our fans right from the start, with their support being fundamental for this game, as it has been over the last few years".

Criticism after the first leg

"I spoke after the last game: when we don’t play as well as we can, regardless of the circumstances... it’s not pleasant, but it’s natural. We know what we are exposed to. I believe we will start strongly, and the fans will do what they always do to push the team on."

The key to turning the result around

"We have to improve and make it happen. I understand the question. You could see it from the very first corner, we have to be proactive, we have to attack the ball in areas where we have players positioned. We analyzed it, it’s something we’ve been working on. Understanding which players are strongest in set-piece situations. We have to take steps forward and improve."

Can Jhon Durán be an option? And the World Cup players?

"Jhon Durán played against Belenenses, for the amount of time you know he played, in a pre-season game, and naturally we will gradually add minutes to the players who came from the World Cup, not after much rest, we’re talking about players who had 10 to 15 days off after the competition. Some played more regularly during the World Cup, others not so much, but they were in a competitive environment and under competitive stress, so the break was not very long. Many of them had four training sessions before this match and they will all be involved in the game, unless something happens in the meantime, and then it’s up to me to decide the starting eleven and what the options for the game will be. As for Jhon Durán, he has been going through the natural process, he was on holiday, he hasn’t played much in recent months, and he is improving. He showed some positive signs against an opponent with lower intensity, but he gave positive signs of what we believe he will bring, and it’s up to me to make the best decisions regarding the players’ physical condition, but the ones who start are not always the decisive ones and we will have solutions on the bench, if we feel it’s right to use them in the game. But to answer the question, practically all the players will be involved in the game, they will be in the squad for the match".

Atmosphere and pressure in this tie

"When I speak, I try to be as honest as possible, I’m not here to beat around the bush, I analyze things clearly within what I can tell you. If we want to improve, we have to be clear. There are two goals where we have to do better, that’s how I think and I share that with the players, they’re on the same page. It’s a matter of staying focused, being aggressive, it’s about wanting to be a strong team. Pressure? It’s inherent to anyone at this club, I don’t want to go down that road. We are confident they can respond, we are playing this decisive match, the decisive factor is there, every game in the league will matter, when you play at this level you have to treat games like finals. The consequences are different, but we have to look at it as a privilege".

Risk of dropping into the Conference League

"I don’t spend a second thinking about that, it’s not on my mind, I don’t waste energy on it. I’m positive by nature. After the poor game we played, the week was positive, we got players back who raised the level of training and competitiveness, and it was noticeable in the preparation. There is no negativity or fear".

António Silva’s farewell?

"I don’t prepare Benfica matches to prepare farewells, I prepare the game, the difficulty of the game, and our current situation in terms of options. We started pre-season with one centre-back and then Lenglet arrived, that’s the reality. But we’re not thinking about a farewell, I’ve never had those kinds of conversations with any player and I haven’t had them with António. He is committed, tomorrow I will make the decisions. Whether I’m counting on him or not? If I weren’t, I would have already told him. If he has been playing, it’s because I was counting on António".

Leandro Barreiro returns

"He had a good pre-season, his absence was unexpected, we chose to play Miguel [Figueiredo], that was our decision. It was difficult for Leandro, he lost a few kilos, he is getting back to his best, and if he has to start the game, he will start".

Will St. Gallen sit deeper or play without fear?

"We are prepared for both possibilities. [St. Gallen] likes to turn the game into individual battles, that caused us a lot of problems in the first leg, we weren’t able to settle, and that’s what we have to do differently tomorrow. It wasn’t a surprise, we just didn’t show the necessary calm. They may choose a more conservative approach, drop into a mid-to-low block and wait for us. We have worked on that as well. The game will dictate the approach. The opponent may keep the same approach and we may have the ability to turn the game into positional attacking play and create situations".

More composed possession

"The two moments are connected, we have to prepare mentally. We have to show an ability to move the ball around. The tactical and mental aspects are linked and we have been working on it in training, individually as well. That characteristic will be important, we have to be prepared for transition situations, but a team like us has to be capable of not losing the ball".

Miguel Figueiredo with the B team

"I’m very pleased with Miguel, he’s a player we gathered information on and he developed with the B team. I made the decision that I wanted to see him, it was important to have young players with us. He didn’t play by chance, we’re talking about a position where we didn’t have players. We had options and I decided to put him in, he responded well, and his inexperience didn’t show. We kept telling him to stay calm and he managed to do that. He’s a player who will stay on our radar, bridging the gap between the first team and the B team. We believe in him, he had a good pre-season, and he will have his space to improve".

Sudakov’s role

"Sudakov, Rafa, possibly Prestianni, even Moreira, all have the ability to be the third midfielder, and they can also almost be a second striker, and whoever plays there has to understand that we faced a team that defended almost all the time man-to-man, and our attacking players will be under stronger pressure, without much space between the lines. We had many 3v2 situations in which the decision-making was not the best. Regardless of how the opponent is going to play, the game will demand other things. Whoever plays has to be ready for both moments, marking from behind and having the ability to play one-touch football. It’s something we have been working on, and I believe they will improve".

Confidence in Sudakov and a closed midfield?

"As for the options in midfield, I’m not going to talk about what may happen until the end of the transfer window. As for the confidence I had in Sudakov, I would be in a very bad place if, after two games and an injury spell in pre-season, I lost confidence. He hasn’t performed at the level he can perform at. It would be wrong to lose confidence in a player who needs confidence, he knows he has to show the quality he has, that would not change my opinion. Of course it’s different from the outside, but I wouldn’t do that after five weeks, players have to perform, improve, and free themselves more when the marking comes from behind. We are here to help Sudakov. If they improve individually, we will be better collectively. I don’t want to single anyone out, it’s much more of a collective issue. With better performances, they will improve the team as a whole".

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