Chelsea 1 – 0 Benfica

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Chelsea won his first victory in the Champions League phase by defeating Benfica 1-0 of former manager Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

Richard Rios’ clean goal after 18 minutes was the difference in the first meeting between the teams since the quarter-final of the Club World Cup disturbed by the weather in June, that the Blues won 4-1 after the extension.

It was the 15th time that Mourinho would face Chelsea in his management career and his first return to southwest London since November 2020. He has now won only four of these 15.

The Portuguese made a silent return. There was no big entry of the tunnel before kick -off; He just took his seat, then kissing the Chelsea fans when they sang his name for the first time.

His team was industry in the first 15 minutes, and got closer when Dodi Lukebakio’s shot from a tight angle hit the nearby post and had to be blurred behind Robert Sanchez. But, for a long time, they ended up behind.

The Pedro Neto cross was kept alive at the rear post by Alejandro Garnacho, who slipped the ball through the box. Rios was not the planned objective, but the ball found him by loading, and he crushed his attempt at authorization in his own net.

Without causing damage, Benfica was able to cut enough opening to start the ringtone of the alarm ringtone at the start of the second half. They also rejected an attractiveness of penalty without enthusiasm when Lukebakio and Enzo Fernandez got tangled on the edge of the box.

In response, Enzo Maresca sent Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro to fight fire with fire. The trio did not do much to light the spark they were introduced to provide, however.

In fact, the latter of the three was sent in the moving seconds; Showed a second yellow for a high boot. It was the third time that a blues player has applied for a red in the last four games in all competitions. But by then, the work has been done.