Benitez reacts quickly after shocking home loss in League Cup first leg
Quotes:
On the performance
‘The team was doing really well. We had a lot of chances and could have scored two or three in the first half, one or two in the second. We made two mistakes and paid for them. The team was attacking, had plenty of possession and creating the chances we had to against a good team and made two mistakes, and conceded two goals.
‘The way we played, the control we had, for me, is what we have to do. We have to be more clinical in front of goal and take these chances but we were doing a lot of these things really well.
‘The question is that the team was creating chances, Mata, Ramires, David Luiz. We had 23 attempts and a lot of clear attempts.
‘If you analyse the second half again, David Luiz or Demba Ba, we could have scored a goal and were in control. We were doing a lot of good things but in football you have to take your chances.
‘If we played this game 10 times maybe we would win nine of them.’
On Ivanovic and his two errors
‘I can see any player making mistakes. It’s not a big issue. Ivanovic was trying to do his best and the team was creating chances. It’s something that can happen, and the main thing is we have to carry on and try again.
‘Obviously they have a great advantage but we have to go there, try and score a goal and we will be in the game.’
On Ba’s two late incidents
‘Watching the replay the goal was level, and so a goal. The penalty, the yellow card, we can talk about. It was not a yellow card but the penalty depends on the vision of the referee.’
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup was pleased with the outcome of the game and his side’s defensive display, but knows the tie is not over yet.
‘To win at the European champions of last season is very, very special,’ he said.
‘We try to have the ball and in most of the games we have the ball more than our opponent, but it would be unrealistic to come here and have the ball. We knew we had to make a very good performance without the ball.
‘They had a lot of possession, but I can only count two or three real chances in 90 minutes. That shows we did a very good game.
‘This game is only the first half of the two, but obviously I am delighted with the result. Our two goals were two mistakes by great players, but that shows nobody is perfect. Still, we had to score the goals and it’s not easy. The finish from Michu was clinical.’
