"Lucas supported and managed in the middle and kept everyone else going forward," said Benitez.
"For me he was the key player today. We can talk about Yossi but it was thanks to Lucas. One thing everyone told me when I came here was that if you work hard the fans are with you.
"They could see again today that Lucas is a worker who has quality. He can challenge in the air, tackle and pass the ball.
"He worked so hard in different positions and allowed the other players more freedom. For me he was a very important player for us today."