By Alex Roberts
Enzo Maresca’s facet suffered a second consecutive Premier League defeat with a 3-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday, and identical to that, the great work executed throughout the summer season’s Membership World Cup was forgotten.
Benfica are to date undefeated below Mourinho, with two wins and one draw of their three video games collectively. Sitting third in Liga Portugal, only one level behind the highest two (Porto and Sporting), they’ll now check their mettle on the continent.
Simply hold eleven gamers on the pitch, lads
Chelsea had been 1-0 up and comparatively accountable for the sport in opposition to Brighton earlier than Trevoh Chalobah was proven a straight purple card for a final man problem on Diego Gómez, because of a hospital move from Andrey Santos.
The truth is, 4 of Chelsea’s 5 defeats this calendar yr have featured a purple card for one in all their gamers, Nicolas Jackson with two, Robert Sánchez with one, and now Chalobah with one. So, are they in disaster or are they only making some unhealthy selections?
Maresca has admitted that having to play with ten males is a studying curve for him, however their 3-1 defeat to Bayern within the earlier spherical of fixtures was their solely one of many 5 defeats and not using a purple card. Preserving eleven on the pitch for this one will give Chelsea a greater likelihood of getting one thing.
An unlikely circumstance
Paradoxically, Benfica beat Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe within the qualifiers to earn a spot on this season’s Champions League league section, and their 3-2 defeat to Azerbaijani Qarabağ within the earlier spherical was the sport that sealed Bruno Lage’s destiny.
Benfica had been 2-0 up after simply 16 minutes earlier than all of it went to hell, such a consequence that Mourinho merely wouldn’t tolerate. He took cost of simply 10 Benfica video games again in 2000 when he first began his managerial profession however by no means had the possibility to steer them out in Europe’s most prestigious membership event.
Now, he’ll handle his first Champions League sport in opposition to the membership that he nonetheless calls house. So far as footballing narratives go, it couldn’t have labored out higher for some of the iconic coaches within the historical past of the sport.
Workforce information
Chalobah’s purple card in opposition to Brighton received’t have any impact on the sport right here and he’s prone to retain his place at centre-back merely as a result of lack of choices Chelsea at present have in that place. Facundo Buonanotte can be obtainable once more after being unable to face his dad or mum membership.
Chelsea are nonetheless lacking talismanic playmaker Cole Palmer on account of his ongoing groin drawback, with Levi Colwill (knee), Liam Delap (thigh), Dário Essugo (thigh), Tosin Adarabioyo (calf) and Wesley Fofana (head) all additionally dominated out.
Benfica are additionally removed from full power, with Manu Silva and Alexander Bah nonetheless recovering from ACL accidents, whereas winger Bruma faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines and should not return till 2026 on account of a ruptured Achilles.
Gianluca Prestianni can be away representing Argentina on the Underneath-20 World Cup in Chile.
Prediction
Typically, it’s onerous to disregard destiny. This has a basic 1-0 Mourinho smash and seize written throughout it.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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