Champions League: Mourinho Set for Hero’s Welcome at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Benfica

When the draw for the Champions League group stage was made, this fixture was one of those I shelved in the ‘mildly compelling’ file.

A club transformed by new money over the last two decades hosting one of the great traditional clubs of Europe which has, in more recent years, if not quite fallen on hard times, certainly encountered a period when teams from richer leagues have taken advantage to pull away.

Yet in the past week, something changed which put this game in the ‘must-see’ category.

The return, with the Portuguese giants, of the most successful manager in Chelsea’s history.

As far as SBOTOP is concerned, Jose Mourinho’s return makes this box office – off the pitch at least!

 

Talking Points

The pressure is actually off Mourinho who should receive a hero’s welcome at the club he guided to three Premier League titles – and an FA Cup and three League Cup triumphs – during two separate spells in west London (2004-07 & 2013-2015).

Both clubs are in need of Champions League 2025 highlights though.

Benfica’s 3-2 reverse in the opening group game to the Azerbaijan minnows of Qarabag – a match they led 2-0 at one stage – was a defeat considered unacceptable and led to the sacking of Bruno Lage.

Within days, Mourinho returned to the club where he began his managerial career in 2000, a time when he took charge of only 10 games and swiftly left following a dispute with the club president.

The irony is that he is returning to management less than a month after being dismissed by Fenerbahce following a Champions League play-offs defeat by his new employers.

He will get a free ride initially and the main expectation will be to bring Portuguese success to fans in Lisbon who have only seen one Liga Portugal title in the past six years.

As for Chelsea, I said at the start of the season that now was the time to start accurately judging the west Londoners under the Italian Enzo Maresca.

With just eight points from six games and two Premier League losses in a row, the Italian will know that pressure is growing and he needs a win in this one.

Their Champions League opener also ended in defeat and their 3-1 reverse to Bayern Munich showed they have a big gap to make the jump from Europa Conference winners last term to being at the sharp end of Europe’s top tier.

They will be without their talisman Cole Palmer who is being rested for up to three weeks as he continues to manage a persistent groin injury which initially flared up during the shortened two-week pre-season after Chelsea won the Club World Cup in July.

Maresca will also be without Tosin Adarabioyo until after the international break with a calf injury, although hopes to have defender Wesley Fofana back after he missed Saturday’s defeat at home to Brighton with concussion.

The Blues had been coasting to victory in that one when Enzo Fernandez headed home a deflected cross. Yet a red card for Trevoh Chalobah eight minutes after the restart turned the match on its head and Brighton went onto emerge 3-1 winners with two goals in stoppage time.

That was their third defeat in four games. Again, they weren’t helped by a sending-off for the second successive weekend but there will be no let-up on Maresca should this game, and next Saturday’s clash with Liverpool, go against them.

By contrast, Benfica (who pipped PSG in their own group in this competition as recently as three years ago) warmed up for midweek in far brighter circumstances – a 2-1 home win over Gil Vicente on Friday night, courtesy of a first half double from Vangelis Pavlidis (one from the penalty spot).

 

History

It’s four meetings, four Chelsea successes so far and all of the games will hold a special memory for the west Londoners.

The last time they met was in the last 16 of the World Club Championship in June when the sides were level at 1-1 after 90 minutes before Chelsea scored three times in extra-time to win the contest 4-1 – Christopher Nkunku (now of AC Milan), Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (now of Everton) were the marksmen in the additional 30 minutes.

They also met in the final of the 2013 Europa League when Branislav Ivanovic headed a 90^th minute winner to clinch the trophy, this after Fernando Torres and Oscar Cardozo (penalty) had traded goals in Amsterdam.

The season before saw Chelsea win home and away in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the year they went onto win the trophy for the first time.

Salomon Kalou scored the only goal in Lisbon before Frank Lampard (penalty) and Raul Meireles netted in a 2-1 success at Stamford Bridge for a 3-1 aggregate win. Javi Garcia had replied for the Portuguese.

 

Betting Tip

I think Chelsea will prove too strong – and the Champions League 2025 betting odds agree – though it will probably be a lot closer than it should be given the outlay on the respective squads. My *** bet is Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.06

   

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