Jose Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge with Benfica as Chelsea look for their first point in the UCL.
When Mourinho came to Chelsea in 2004, he was tagged as the “Special One” and while that tag has lost some of its value in the past two decades, there’s no denying that Mourinho is one of the greatest managers to ever grace the sport.
In his time at Chelsea, he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups in three seasons. Mourinho also got Chelsea the best defensive record in the top 5 leagues, going unbeaten for 86 home games.
Mourinho has already been in the media this week saying that the Chelsea he built with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was a winning club. Chelsea have won subsequent trophies since his departure including the Champions League in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel, and the Conference League and Club World Cup with Enzo Maresca.
However, the timing of the game comes at a tough period for Chelsea. They have one win in five games and have suffered red cards in back to back games. Their return to the Champions League didn’t start on a good note as they lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Benfica also had a tough start to the Champions League, suffering a 3-2 loss to Qarabag. Mourinho was appointed after that game and he has had instant impact, winning two of his first three games.
His return to Stamford Bridge also has a twist as Chelsea beat Benfica in extra time in the Club World Cup. It could be a repeat of that game or the start of a new relationship between Chelsea fans and Mourinho if Benfica wins. The match will be one to look forward too.
