Chelsea 1-0 Benfica: Joao Pedro sent off in stoppage time as Jose Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge return ends in defeat

Jose Mourinho’s long-awaited return to Stamford Bridge ended in disappointment as Chelsea secured their first Champions League victory of the season with a 1-0 win over Benfica.

The former Blues manager, back in west London for the seventh time since his sacking in 2015, was denied a fairytale evening as an early own goal from Richard Rios after just 18 minutes proved decisive.

Enzo Maresca’s side had shown glimpses of promise in their opening match despite a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful display against Bayern Munich. This time, however, Mourinho’s men adopted a more pragmatic approach, defending deep and forcing Chelsea to find a way through. The breakthrough came courtesy of a slick move: Pedro Neto delivered a sweeping cross, Alejandro Garnacho stretched to keep the ball alive, and the unfortunate Rios inadvertently turned it into his own net.

The atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge underlined the occasion. Barely two minutes had passed before chants of “Jose Mourinho” rang around the stadium, a reminder to Maresca of the scale of the challenge he faces in winning over the Chelsea faithful.

Despite three defeats in their previous four matches raising questions about discipline and concentration, Chelsea showed enough resilience to suggest that Maresca’s project remains on course. Nevertheless, disciplinary concerns resurfaced when substitute Joao Pedro received a second yellow card for a high boot in the dying moments, leaving Chelsea with their third red card in four fixtures. By then, however, the victory was secure.

Enzo Fernandez came close to scoring against his former club early on, firing narrowly wide, before Benfica’s Dodi Lukebakio forced Robert Sanchez into action with a fierce effort that clipped the woodwork. Neto, lively throughout, also threatened with a powerful strike just wide before playing a crucial role in the opening goal.

Benfica’s danger largely came from Lukebakio on the right flank, with Marc Cucurella struggling to contain him. Only a last-ditch intervention from Trevoh Chalobah prevented the winger’s cut-back from reaching striker Vangelis Pavlidis.

Tensions briefly flared when missiles were thrown from the away end at Fernandez as he prepared to take a corner, the Chelsea captain still a controversial figure in Lisbon following his 2023 move to Stamford Bridge.

In the second half, Maresca introduced teenage sensation Estevao Willian as part of a triple substitution, aiming to press home Chelsea’s advantage. Unlike the more cautious changes made in the weekend defeat to Brighton, the attacking intent was warmly received by home supporters.

Though Maresca is still far from enjoying the affection that Mourinho commands, this victory offered him a valuable step forward.