Benfica coach Marco Silva issued a “very big alert” to his team after a dramatic 3-2 win over Estrela da Amadora, highlighting critical flaws in their performance despite securing three important points.
The victory, secured in the final moments of Sunday's match, kept the team in the title race but left Silva with concerns.
The match was a tale of two halves. Benfica dominated the first part, controlling the game completely and playing with the intensity Silva demands. However, the team’s performance collapsed in the second half, allowing the match to slip away before rallying late. Silva emphasized that the second-half display was unacceptable, particularly the team’s transition play.
Two-Half Performance Described as “Completely Different”
Silva was clear in his assessment of the disjointed performance. “Looking at the first half, it was total domination from our team,” he said. “We dominated as we like to play, and there is no reason why we should stop doing that in the second half.”
The coach drew a sharp distinction between the team’s approach at the start of the second half and their necessary, high-risk approach in the final minutes. “One thing is the total risk we have to assume in the last 10 minutes, another thing is to start the second half losing all balls to transition. We have to improve a lot in that aspect. There is a very big alert here.”
Silva called the game “difficult” and noted the two distinct halves. “In the first half, we were Benfica,” he stated. “We were a team with practically everything we had planned for the game and that has been our image: controlling the game, most of the time with the ball, many times, to say almost always, in an offensive position on the field.”
This first-half control, he added, allowed them to create an “excellent goal” and more opportunities while limiting the home side to minimal threat.
Silva pinpointed the loss of control as a collective failure. “After we lost a bit of control, it was in a general way,” he was quoted as saying. “It’s difficult to say one or another player managed to hold the emotional balance we should have had. It’s a collective issue, as is logical.”
The coach dismissed any notion that a tactical change from the opposition caused the collapse. “We are not talking about a great tactical transformation from Estrela that we couldn’t fit in or something like that; it came much more from us. We have to take steps forward in that aspect.”
 "Photo: A Bola")
Sudakov Performs Well Despite Aursnes Injury
A key figure in the team’s first-half success was midfielder Sudakov. His performance during the first 50-60 minutes was described as “very positive.” He was “always balanced, always pausing the game when he had to, always incorporating himself into our triangle on the right corridor when he had to.” This performance suggested that the team’s strategy was working, even in the absence of midfielder Fredrik Aursnes.
Silva was unequivocal that Aursnes’s injury, which occurred during the final stages of training, did not alter the game plan. “The injury of Fredrik [Aursnes] did not change anything,” he stated. “During 50 or 60 minutes it was one thing and then the game became so different.” The coach confirmed that the strategy with or without Fredrik was identical. “Regarding the strategy with Fredrik, it changed absolutely nothing.”
Silva Rejects “Easy Excuses” for Fatigue
The condensed schedule, with a game on Thursday and another on Sunday, led to questions about whether fatigue contributed to the team’s second-half slump. Silva, however, firmly rejected this as an excuse.
“We have rotated a lot and today we repeated three players who played on Thursday,” he said. “Unfortunately, what happened to Tomás happened, who played from Monday to Sunday, which is a great wear and tear. We are not going to apologize for that.”
The manager stated that the rotation was a deliberate choice to keep the team fresh. “We rotated last Thursday to have the team fresh. There is wear and tear for all teams. I don’t like easy excuses,” he added. Silva also addressed the fatigue argument: “It may have been fatigue, but that is the easiest excuse. As a coach, I will not go down that path.”
Both Tomás Araújo and Aursnes were forced off the game. Silva explained that Tomás felt “overloaded in an area of his leg” and gave the coaching staff a signal that he could no longer perform at his maximum, prompting a substitution.
The extent of Tomás’s injury is not yet clear, with Silva stating, “We will see how Tomás is, if it is an absence for us.” Aursnes, meanwhile, missed the match entirely after feeling discomfort in his adductor muscle during the final training session.
“Never Surrender” Mentality Earns Victory
Despite the critical analysis, Silva praised his team’s resilience and spirit, which ultimately secured the win. “There is a huge spirit of a team that never surrendered,” he said. The coach emphasized that this refusal to give up is the team’s obligation.
“I repeat: there is a huge spirit of a team that never surrendered—as is our duty—but that never surrendered and because of that we were able to come back and score a goal in the last minutes. Very important for us.”
This victory was the team’s eighth in a row, a streak that Silva believes confirms the group’s strong mentality. This late mental strength was on full display, as the team celebrated with the fans who had supported them until the final second.
“I like to perceive and feel this communion,” Silva told Sport TV. “Until the last second, they pulled for the team. They deserve the thanks the players made at the end.”
The coach described the win as important but complex. “These victories are very important, because we made a second half below our best level, and still managed to score the winning goal,” he said. “It is an important victory with a special taste. But there are bitter issues that we have to analyze as a team.” Silva believes the win will be valuable for the team’s growth.
“Thankfully, this type of problem happens when we get the three points,” he stated, “because it will allow us to analyze and the points did not slip through our hands when they were in our hand throughout the first half. It will be very important for us, because we have to take steps forward and learn quickly from some situations that happened in the game.”
What’s Next for Benfica
Benfica will look to build on this victory and address the issues raised by Silva when they face their next opponent. The team is fighting for titles this season, and maintaining their winning momentum is necessary. Silva’s message is clear: the team must learn from its mistakes and take “big steps” forward if they are to compete for trophies at the end of the season.
Keep reading
