CHELSEA 1-0 BENFICA: Jose Mourinho had hoped for just his second win at Stamford Bridge as an opposition manager, but was left disappointed as the Blues picked up three points
The showman is still there but there was no fairytale return for the Special One. Jose Mourinho received a hero’s welcome from the Stamford Bridge faithful but his night ultimately finished in defeat at the hands of his old club.
At times, Mourinho’s touchline antics and histrionics were almost more entertaining than the match itself as Chelsea made hard work of what should have been a routine Champions League win.
Mind you, Enzo Maresca’s men rarely make life easy for themselves and this time it took an own goal to get their first victory in this season’s campaign.
And then Chelsea substitute Joao Pedro got his marching orders after getting a second yellow card in injury time for a high challenge. The self-destruct button never seems far away.
Mourinho is 62 now, his hair has turned grey and the days when he won this competition look behind him. This was his eighth trip back to Stamford Bridge with an opposing club and, incredibly, he has managed just one win.
READ MORE: Alejandro Garnacho makes Ally McCoist eat his words with decisive action for ChelseaREAD MORE: Jose Mourinho forced to step in as Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez targeted by Benfica supporters
That was back in 2010 when Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Chelsea on the way to winning the Champions League.
The greatest shame of Mourinho’s glittering career is that he never won the biggest prize in his two spells in charge of Chelsea because no-one should forget what a great manager he was.
But the emphasis – sadly – is on was. Mourinho is still great fun, delivering all the sound bites and emotion in the build-up and actually his Benfica team did him proud. Even after going behind to Richard Rios’s own goal, the Portuguese giants refused to buckle and put up a good fight.
Mourinho had done his usual pre-match mind games by talking up Maresca and also Chelsea’s chances of winning the Champions League. After all, Mourinho said, they had won the Club World Cup.
On this evidence, Chelsea look a long way from being genuine contenders but maybe the char offensive worked on Maresca because the home side hardly went for the kill.
That is the story of Chelsea’s season. They made life hard for themselves and, even when they win, it is a long way from convincing.
Chelsea always give you a chance. Benfica got theirs after seven minutes when Belgium winger Dodi Lukébakio’s low shot nearly squeezed past Robert Sanchez but the Chelsea keeper managed to push it onto the post. That was as close as Benfica got.
It was a major let-off and Benfica were quickly made to pay. Pedro Neto’s diagonal ball was pulled back by Alejandro Garnacho and his low cross was then put into his own net by Rios.
That was a gift for Chelsea who looked pretty toothless through the middle. It was little wonder because teenager Tyrique George, 19, was leading the line. And this, after all, is a player who they nearly sold to Fulham on deadline day.
George must already be wondering whether he is coming or going and looked horribly lost up front for Chelsea as he struggled to get on the end of any service coming his way from Neto or Garnacho.
Pedro was only fit enough to be a second half substitute but after one silly yellow came a second for a high challenge. Madness.
Maresca’s biggest problem is stamping an identity on this Chelsea team. They can look unrecognisable from one week to the next. And it shows in their performances and lack of consistency.
Benfica applied the pressure, Chelsea had half chances and yet perhaps one of the best moments of the night came when Mourinho played peacemaker.
Mourinho went over to the travelling fans to plead with them to stop showering Chelsea’s former Benfica midfielder Fernandez with missiles. Things you never thought you would see from Mourinho.
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