Ivanovic unimpressed, warns teammates ahead of Benfica v Fenerbahçe | OneFootball

Benfica drew nil-nil (0-0) on their trip to Turkey, facing Fenerbahçe in the first leg of the play-off for entry into the group stage of the Champions League. Franjo Ivanovic remained on the bench and was not satisfied with the result. The Croatian forward emphasized that the Eagles need to make better use of their goal-scoring opportunities.

"It was not an easy game. In the first half we started well, I think we played a good game. In the second half, we received a red card and things got difficult. We suffered a bit. Overall, we played a solid game. We still have 90 minutes ahead of us at home next week and we'll see what the team does," he began by saying.

At the end of the match, Franjo Ivanovic was challenged to outline Benfica's strategy for the second leg: "We need to score a goal. We need to take advantage of our chances to score and create more danger in their box. That is the goal for next week and I am sure we will do it."

Bruno Lage highlighted the importance of bringing the tie back to the Luz and that was exactly what Benfica aimed to do throughout the match. With Ivanovic left out of the starting eleven and Florentino included in the central midfield, the Eagles' coach adopted a more closed and cautious approach, although the midfielder was sent off in the second half.

The next match of the tie is scheduled for August 27, Wednesday, at Estádio da Luz. Benfica will host Fenerbahçe with the score at nil-nil and only need to win the match to secure a place in the Champions League.

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