Mourinho Prepares for Benfica’s Clash with Wounded Real Madrid

omidbasir- Jose Mourinho, who previously led Real Madrid to victory in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercup from 2010 to 2013, is now at the helm of Benfica. Ahead of their upcoming clash in the Champions League, he has expressed that Real Madrid will be both “wounded and dangerous” following their surprising loss to Benfica last month.

In a thrilling final match of the league phase, Benfica secured a remarkable 4-2 victory against Madrid, highlighted by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a header in the dying moments of the game. The defeat caused Real Madrid, a club with an illustrious history of 15 Champions League titles, to plummet from third to ninth place, effectively removing them from automatic qualification for the tournament.

“They are wounded. And a wounded king is dangerous,” Mourinho remarked, reflecting on his time as Madrid’s coach. He emphasized that Benfica will approach the first leg of the tie with strategy, ambition, and confidence. “We know what we did to the kings of the Champions League,” he added.

Benfica, currently third in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, will host the first leg of the tie at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday at 20:00 GMT. In an extraordinary turn of events, Benfica appeared to be on the verge of elimination until a free-kick was awarded against Real Madrid, who were reduced to nine men after Raul Asencio and Rodrygo received red cards in added time. Trubin’s header into the net secured Benfica’s advancement despite their earlier struggles in the league phase, where they had lost their first four matches.

Mourinho anticipates a challenging encounter, stating, “The tie will be very demanding, without a doubt.” He added, “Trubin won’t be in the attack at the Luz stadium. I’ve grown accustomed to these types of ties throughout my career. It’s a common misconception that a certain result is required in the first leg; I believe no result is definitive.”

Following their recent upset, this victory marked Mourinho’s first triumph over his former club and allowed Benfica to progress to the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Real Madrid sits atop the La Liga standings, two points ahead of rival Barcelona.