Mozambican international Renildo Mandava, left-back for Atlético de Madrid, expressed his resilient spirit after the 4-0 defeat against Benfica in the second round of the Champions League. In an interview with TNT Sports Brazil, Renildo stressed the importance of keeping his head up and continuing the work, despite the setback suffered in Lisbon.
“"It was a difficult night for us, but we have to lift our heads and continue working. The season is still long, and we need to learn from our mistakes to improve in the upcoming games," the player stated.
Atlético de Madrid arrived at the match with high expectations, but faced a Benfica side in great form, led by the experienced Argentinian Ángel Di María. Renildo had the arduous task of marking the striker, who was one of the stars of the game. The Mozambican acknowledged the opponent's talent and praised Di María's performance: “He is a quality player, he played a great game. But we are here to compete against the best, and that is the reality of the Champions League.”.
With the defeat, Atlético de Madrid recorded their first setback of the season in European competition, accumulating a total of eight goals conceded in just two matches.
