Benfica coach concedes Barcelona were unstoppable – ‘They have proven to be…’ | OneFootball

Benfica manager Bruno Lage admitted that Barcelona were the better side in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16.

The Catalan giants secured a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night, adding to the 1-0 win from the first leg in Lisbon. With this result, Barcelona successfully progressed to the next stage of the competition, showing their quality and determination.

Lage acknowledged that Barcelona deserved to advance, as they demonstrated their strength and control throughout the game.

Speaking after the match, he reflected on his team’s performance and the key moments that defined the outcome. “Barcelona has proven to be a great team and is continuing to advance in the competition on its own merits,” he said.

What went wrong for Benfica?

The Portuguese coach highlighted the opening 15 minutes as a promising spell for Benfica. He praised the way his players reacted after conceding the first goal, managing to level the score at 1-1.

Bruno Lage surrendered to Barcelona. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

However, he admitted that “the second goal we conceded penalised us.”.

Lage pointed out that his team struggled to contain Barcelona’s attacking movement. Benfica found it difficult to close down spaces and limit their opponents’ passing between the lines.

Defensively, they were unable to maintain their usual organisation, which allowed the home side to take full control.

“We were unable to stop their play between the lines or their depth. And we didn’t do what we usually do in the defensive area,”

With the tie nearly out of reach by half-time, the Benfica coach made several substitutions in an attempt to “look for freshness to get more attacking.”.

In the end, Lage accepted that his team fell short against a superior opponent. While Benfica showed moments of promise, they were ultimately unable to match Barcelona’s quality and consistency over both legs.

Source: Mundo Deportivo