Mourinho on Ajax v Benfica second half: We knew what to do | OneFootball

José Mourinho admitted that he changed the strategy in the second half. In the aftermath of the match, where he spoke about the victory over Ajax, the Benfica coach acknowledged that in the second half, there was a pressured atmosphere, with the Eagles waiting for the opponent’s mistake.

"Yesterday I said that playing wanting to win is one thing, but having to win is another. That’s a different kind of pressure", began José Mourinho, speaking to Sport TV, recalling the words he had said during the press conference held yesterday, November 24.

Next, the Eagles’ coach explained that the style had to be adapted, since Benfica is not a team that makes many offensive errors: "We are not a team with many fast players in attack to be very dangerous in transition".

"We had to play the game differently and the players did it very well, they deserve congratulations", he added, explaining that against an opponent with Ajax’s characteristics, it was necessary to have a different approach to the match.

"They played with the weapons they had, we knew how to defend and be solid. Barreiro’s goal ended the game, but even without it, the feeling on the bench was that the match was under control", he concluded, speaking after the match in Amsterdam.

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