Jose Mourinho warned his Benfica players on Monday that a wounded Real Madrid will arrive in Lisbon breathing fire for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League playoff first leg at the Estádio da Luz.
Last month’s chaotic league-phase clash still hangs in the air. Benfica beat Real 4-2 in extraordinary fashion, a result that denied the Spanish giants automatic passage to the last 16 and forced them into this playoff. Real arrive bruised, not broken.
Mourinho expects a reaction. “If beating Real once is difficult, imagine beating them twice or three times, which is probably what we will have to do.” He followed it with a warning rooted in experience. “A big team that loses and is wounded is dangerous.”
He framed Real’s motivation clearly. “Real Madrid’s motivation is not to eliminate Benfica but to win the Champions League.” That mindset, Mourinho stressed, changes the temperature of nights like this.
Benfica, however, carry their own belief. “For our part, it is to win and to know very well what we did to win the last game.” Mourinho wants clarity, not fear, from his side.
He also expects a different Real Madrid under new management. “We know very well that the game will not be a carbon copy.” He pointed to progress under Alvaro Arbeloa, who had been in the job just two weeks when the teams last met after replacing Xabi Alonso.
Mourinho reminded everyone how far Benfica have travelled. “My players started with four games and zero points.” He laid out the climb. “They had to get nine points playing against Juventus, Real Madrid and Napoli. They really deserve to be here.”
He even found joy in the challenge. “It’s much better to be here, in the Champions League qualifiers, against a team of Real Madrid’s stature than against a lower-level team.” The message stayed consistent. “Let’s enjoy tomorrow’s game, get a result that allows us to compete in the second leg and play with joy.”
