One blow does not mean defeat, or at least that is what the former Real Madrid coach and current team’s executioner, José Mourinho, believes.
Under the Portuguese coach, Benfica beat the Merengues 4-2 in the last game of the league phase at the Estadio Da Luz. However, ‘The Special One’ still believes that Álvaro Arbeloa’s team can become Champions League winners.
Mourinho predicts Real Madrid’s future
The 63-year-old coach led the White team from 2010 to 2013 and won a Copa del Rey, a La Liga championship, and a Spanish Super Cup. However, on Wednesday, he faced his former team and defeated them.
The only two goals for the Merengue were scored by Kylian Mbappé (29′ and 58′), while Benfica came back strong with a brace from Andreas Schjelderup, a penalty from Vangelis Pavlidis, and an iconic goal from team goalkeeper Anatoli Trubin in the 90+8′ minute of the match to seal their place in the playoffs, in 24th place.
For Mourinho, his team’s victory was “deserved,” and after the match, he expressed his mixed feelings about facing the team he once managed: “I like to go to Madrid and I like to go to Milan. Seeing friends is always a pleasure,” he said.
However, he also acknowledged Benfica’s efforts and highlighted Kylian Mbappé and company as possible strong contenders to lift the trophy in May:
“Real Madrid and Inter are among the great candidates. We are not, but we compete. We lost to Chelsea but we competed. We lost to Juve, but we competed. We beat Real Madrid… It’s more difficult to win across two matches than one, but football is football. We are building a team, a team. You can’t do it individually. We’ll see. It’s time to try to do what we’re doing,” he added.
Despite his praise for Real Madrid and his modesty when talking about Benfica, Mourinho also highlighted the growth of the team he currently manages and the impact of this victory on his players:
“For Benfica, it is an incredible prestige to beat Real Madrid. They haven’t played against them since the fantastic years, where they were in the Champions League, in the finals. And this, for the prestige of Benfica and the players, is fantastic,” he said.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, Friday, January 30, the draw will be held to determine Mourinho and his team’s opponent in the Champions League round of 16.
Considering that the teams ranked 9th or 10th will face teams 23rd or 24th, it is possible that Wednesday’s matchup will be repeated, as Real Madrid or Inter will play against Bodo/Glimt or Benfica. There is a fifty percent chance…
On the other hand, Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting, and Manchester City have already secured their place in the round of 16.
Upcoming important dates for the UEFA Champions League:
- Play-offs: February 17/18 and 24/25, 2026
- Round of 16 draw: February 27
- Round of 16: March 10/11 and 17/18, 2026
- Quarterfinals: April 7/8 and 14/15, 2026
- Semifinals: April 28/29 & May 5/6, 2026
- Final: May 30, 2026 (Budapest)
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