Mourinho’s Benfica beaten on Chelsea return in Champions League

Benfica brag Jose Mourinho was beaten connected his instrumentality to Chelsea arsenic Richard Rios’ own-goal condemned the erstwhile Blues brag to a 1-0 decision successful the Champions League connected Tuesday.

Rios’ costly blunder successful the archetypal fractional astatine Stamford Bridge ruined Mourinho’s hopes of a triumph implicit the nine helium is astir intimately associated with.

Mourinho and then-owner Roman Abramovich transformed Chelsea into a superpower aft his assignment successful 2004, winning 3 Premier League titles among 7 large trophies crossed his 2 spells successful charge.

The 62-year-old’s managerial prima whitethorn beryllium connected the wane pursuing a decennary without a league title, but his westbound London home-coming was inactive a container bureau occasion.

Mourinho had started the play successful complaint of Fenerbahce, who sacked him successful August earlier helium returned to his erstwhile nine Benfica this month.

While Stamford Bridge is the country of Mourinho’s erstwhile glories, it has not been a blessed hunting crushed for him since.

He has failed to triumph immoderate of his 7 visits with Manchester United, Tottenham and present Benfica since leaving Chelsea for the 2nd clip successful 2015, portion his lone occurrence successful the distant dugout came with Inter Milan successful 2010.

Despite the loss, Mourinho took bosom from Benfica’s battling display.

“A decision is ever a decision but this 1 tin beryllium a commencement for us. It was a unchangeable performance,” Mourinho said.

“When a squad changes manager mid-season it’s due to the fact that things are not good. So we’ve had immoderate difficulties. But we could person travel distant from present with a draw.”

Having claimed helium was “always a Blue” and inactive the “biggest” manager successful the club’s past connected Monday, Mourinho, who retains a location adjacent Stamford Bridge, had insisted Chelsea’s fans would springiness him a lukewarm invited connected his latest return.

The prediction proved spot-on arsenic Mourinho’s sanction was loudly chanted respective times passim the lucifer by Chelsea fans who roseate successful unison to applaud him.

The Mourinho love-in inspired a beardown commencement from Benfica, with Vangelis Pavlidis forcing Robert Sanchez to prevention astatine the climax of a flowing move.

Sanchez made different important halt erstwhile Dodi Lukebakio’s thrust was pushed onto the adjacent station by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

– Mourinho vexation –

Mourinho’s game-plan was exposing holes successful Chelsea’s defence and Heorhiy Sudakov should person done amended with a accidental that Sanchez gratefully smothered.

But Chelsea rode their luck to instrumentality an 18th-minute pb acknowledgment to Rios’ error.

Pedro Neto recovered Alejandro Garnacho wrong the Benfica country and the Argentinian’s transverse triggered a panicked clearance from Rios, who diverted the shot precocious into his ain nett from adjacent range.

Mourinho’s luck was out, but helium was inactive consenting to play peacemaker erstwhile Benfica fans threw missiles astatine Chelsea skipper Enzo Fernandez, who had a little spell astatine the Portuguese club, marching down the touchline and gesturing to the supporters to halt the barrage.

Mourinho got his privation but Chelsea weren’t truthful compliant and Tyrique George should person doubled their pb connected the changeable of half-time erstwhile the young guardant changeable wide from a bully position.

Benfica played with intent aft the interval but lacked the cutting borderline required to carve retired an equaliser.

Even a reddish paper for Chelsea guardant Joao Pedro for a precocious footwear connected Leandro Barreiro successful the last seconds couldn’t spare Mourinho from a frustrating defeat.

While Mourinho was near to bemoan the archetypal nonaccomplishment of his Benfica reign, it was a invited occurrence for Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea had mislaid 3 of their erstwhile 4 games against Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Brighton, raising questions astir Maresca’s quality to instrumentality the nine to the adjacent level.

Maresca has led Chelsea to UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup glory since taking complaint past year, but Mourinho waspishly diminished some those achievements this week.

The Blues’ 4th triumph successful 9 games successful each competitions this play was a timely effect from Maresca.

AFP

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