Benfica's Lima elated, Spurs rue fine margins

SL Benfica forward Lima was delighted to score the goal that confirmed his team's place in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals at the expense of a Tottenham Hotspur FC side that contained "several match winners". The 30-year-old struck in added time to make it 2-2 and ensure that last season's runners-up extended their "important" unbeaten home run in Europe to 11 games after two late Nacer Chadligoals had given them a scare.

For Tottenham attacker Harry Kane, who came off the substitutes' bench to set up both goals for Tim Sherwood's men, the tie was decided by "fine margins" – although Spurs leave Lisbon "proud" of an improved performance and with heads held high.

Lima, Benfica forward
Tottenham have a great team which they showed by scoring two goals here. They were very defensive most of the time and tried to spring forward on the counterattack. However, the most important thing is that we qualified. We are still in all the competitions and we will try to maintain our good performances. We were capable of controlling most of the game but Tottenham have great players. We knew it would be a very difficult game as they have several match winners.

We are not used to conceding goals like this at home but this is football. Despite the goals we still managed to get a draw, it is important not to lose at home. I tried to capitalise on the few minutes I had – coming on in the second half – and I was fortunate enough to score after I was fouled for the penalty. This was a team effort. We had some players who do not play very often and they reacted well. There are no favourites in the draw. Regardless of who we get, we must work hard, take one game at a time and focus on this competition.

Harry Kane, Tottenham forward
The lads were working hard [before I came on] but then perhaps Benfica got tired. I posed an aerial threat, won a few flick-ons and got them going the other way a bit. We got the two goals and were unfortunate not to get a third in the end.

The third goal at home was a poor goal to give away and it is always a tough ask to come here and get three goals – but once we went 1-0 down here nothing changed, we still had to get three goals. Overall, today we were different class but it's a shame the game hasn't gone into extra time.

Once we got one and then two they started to get a bit nervous and it was down to us. We had a few crosses, a couple of unlucky headers but they are the fine margins in this competition. We were playing a great side in Benfica and I thought we were a bit unlucky. We showed we are a team and that we are together. We stuck together throughout both legs and hung in there.

We're disappointed, we came so close. The lads are proud of each other, we feel for each other because we all put in a shift but that's football sometimes. You want to impress in these games and you're playing against some of the best teams in the world so to get the two headers was good.

Ezekiel Fryers, Tottenham defender
I thought the lads showed great character to come here 3-1 down and show some fight. We still had belief after the first game. Once we scored two we really believed we could get a third. It was disappointing but we have picked our heads up already. Benfica are a great side and it's a great stadium. The atmosphere was great so for a young lad like myself it was a great experience.

I've got to play in the UEFA Europa League quite a bit and it's different, there's a different style of play to other games. We now know if we go a goal or two down we can pull it back. If we show the same fight for the rest of the season it will help us.