Rice stated: "We were in sync, playing with enthusiasm and a great desire, we have the motivation and hunger for victories, and these knockout stages of the Champions League require that."

He added: "We delivered a fantastic performance, but we have been playing this way all season long, there has been talk of some different scenarios, but as players, we feel we are performing amazingly, sometimes we score two or three, sometimes we lose by a goal, but the most important thing is to maintain a winning mentality."

He continued: "When they scored their goal and made it 3-1, we did not retreat, but continued to press, and that showed in the goals we scored in the second half, it was an amazing performance from everyone."

Rice also praised the brilliant performance of young player Ethan Nwaneri, who made his debut in the biggest European competitions at just 17 years old, saying: "It’s incredible to see him daily in training, everyone here supports him and Myles, they train with great courage without any fear."

He added: "Even if Bukayo Saka was available today, Ethan would still be part of the team and get playing minutes, because he trains wonderfully and has amazing potential, we have many rising talents who will contribute a lot in the future."

Rice concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of focusing on the second leg, stating: "Nothing is settled yet, despite the large result, we must be ready for the return match to successfully finish the task."