Warning issued: Benfica fans set demand for the Champions League | OneFootball

After a formidable start to the season, where Benfica maintained an impressive unbeaten record, the first stumble left everything shaky for Bruno Lage's squad. Following the draw against Santa Clara, the fans' discontent was visible, indicating that the team has no room for error in the next game.

According to the newspaper A Bola, in its Sunday edition on September 14, the message from the Benfica fans present at Estádio da Luz was very simple: to deliver a fitting response in the match against Qarabag, scheduled for next Tuesday, September 16, counting for the first round of the Champions League group stage.

Although the main 'villain' of the match against the Azoreans was Nicolás Otamendi - who apologized to the locker room - the Argentine was not the primary target of the wave of discontent. The Benfica fans had already expressed themselves, during halftime, when both teams were still tied at zero.

The same source writes that the main issue, which dates back to last season, is the style of football the team has been playing, even if they are winning and competing for titles. From the perspective of the Benfica fans, Bruno Lage's squad does not convince, as despite the results being there, the performances fall far short of what is desired.

With this in mind, the draw with the islanders was the last straw, and the fans demand that the Setubal native's players show a new face against the Azerbaijani team, with a stellar performance and, of course, a victory in the opening round of the Champions League, since Qarabag is, in theory, the most accessible opponent the Eagles will face in the competition.

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