How to bet on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica ahead of Chelsea reunion

Benfica didn’t have the worst start under Bruno Lage, but defeat to Azerbaijani side, Qarabag, sealed his fate. Mourinho has a good base to build on.

Benfica under MourinhoOddsTo win to nil vs Gil Vicente10/11Both teams to score vs Chelsea4/6

Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

The Special One returns to his roots

The year is 2000, and we’re a few months into the new millennium. A little-known young coach by the name of Jose Mourinho is named as Jupp Heynckes replacement at Benfica. He’d gone from being a youth coach at Vitoria de Setubal to Bobby Robson’s assistant at Porto, then Barcelona - now he was the main man.

His spell lasted just nine games before he resigned after being refused a new contract, and from there he excelled. He has guided Porto to the Champions League, won trophies at Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter Milan and much more. Manuel Vilarinho admitted years later that he should’ve given him that new contract.

Now he’s back, however, and will be desperate to achieve success with the club that gave him his first foray into management. As Águias finished as runners-up in the Primeira Liga the last two seasons. With Mourinho at the helm, the plan is to go one better in 2025/26.

It’d been over 20 years since The Special One had managed a game in the Portuguese top-flight, and he got off to a perfect start. A 3-0 win over Avs Futebol got them back to winning ways, but they were then left frustrated by a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave. Now, with a return to Stamford Bridge on the horizon and a four-point gap on Porto to claw back, there’s work to do.

Football loves a narrative

Within the first three weeks of taking over in Lisbon, Mourinho faces trips to two of his old stomping grounds where he had great success - Chelsea and Porto. A result in either would be fantastic, whereas results in both would be huge as he settles into his new job.

Mourinho has walked into a team in pretty good shape, to be fair to Bruno Lage. They may have thrown away a 2-0 lead in their latest Champions League game, but they’ve been solid. Prior to his arrival, Benfica had seven clean sheets in 10 matches, so they have already proven tough to beat.

Os Encarnados finished just two points behind winners, Sporting, last season. They spent a fair bit of money in the summer to try and close that gap. Mourinho will be confident of giving that extra boost they need to get their name on the Primeira Liga once again.

Next up is a clash with Gil Vicente, and the Portuguese manager will want to keep it tight. Benfica are three home games without a win, and they could end that run this week. Then comes Chelsea in the UCL, and the likes of Vangelis Pavlidis and Franjo Ivanovic will back themselves to cause problems at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho has won eight league titles over the course of his career, and you wouldn’t put it past him to make it nine this season. He’s got the tools at his disposal, as well as the experience, and after a few trophyless years, he’ll want to prove he’s special once again.

+

Click here to read article