Chelsea Scrape Narrow 1-0 Win Over Mourinho’s Benfica in Scrappy Champions League Tie

Chelsea eked out a 1-0 win over José Mourinho’s Benfica in a tense and scrappy Champions League clash. The decisive moment came in the 18th minute when Benfica defender Richard Rios deflected a low cross into his own net after pressure from Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto.

Mourinho, on his return to Stamford Bridge, received warm applause from the home crowd but faced frustrating moments on the pitch. The match turned further in Chelsea’s favor when Benfica were reduced to ten men—João Pedro collected two yellow cards deep in stoppage time.

Despite Benfica’s bursts of attacking threat, including efforts from Fredrik Aursnes and Georgiy Sudakov, they struggled to break Chelsea’s defensive resilience. The second half was disjointed and marred by fouls and stoppages, but Chelsea held firm to claim all three points.

The result marks a positive bounce back for Enzo Maresca’s side, following a disappointing defeat in their earlier Champions League match. Meanwhile, Mourinho’s side will rue their missed opportunities and the impact of the own goal and red card on their performance.