No happy Chelsea return for José Mourinho as own goal sinks Benfica

The days when José Mourinho would arrive in town with more to offer than touchline showmanship have long passed. The 62-year-old’s time at the top of the coaching tree belongs to a different era and, for all the nostalgia about Mourinho’s trophy-laden spells at Chelsea before this game, the main takeaway from his return to Stamford Bridge is that this is a manager who no longer gets job offers from Europe’s biggest teams.

The buildup was more entertaining than the actual football. Chelsea, carrying injuries and a long way below their best, were comfortable against Mourinho’s tepid Benfica. They dug out a 1-0 win, a messy own goal the difference on a night that did not feel like a good advert for the extended Champions League, and for 95 minutes the job was done so efficiently it almost could have passed as a tribute to Mourinho’s pomp.

Chelsea being Chelsea, though, there still had to be complications as they edged towards their first win of the league phase. They were into the sixth minute of added time when João Pedro, on as a second‑half substitute, picked up a second yellow for a clumsy foul.

Rashness still plagues Enzo Maresca’s young side. They have received three red cards in as many games and it is not ideal that João Pedro will be suspended for the home game against Ajax given that injuries to Liam Delap and Cole Palmer have already left Chelsea short up front.

Maresca will shuffle through his squad for options. This was a moment to rotate and rest weary limbs. There were rare starts for Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Buonanotte and Tyrique George in attack. Maresca liked Garnacho’s performance but this was not wholly convincing. Jamie Gittens was quiet during his cameo. Estêvão was bright after coming on, almost scoring a late header. Application was not the issue. It was more that Chelsea are missing some big players, are not at their physical peak and are simply not clicking at the moment.

At least they avoided a stumble on their trip down memory lane. The narrative about how Mourinho’s return would show how standards have dropped since Roman Abramovich’s departure never materialised. The Mourinho of 2025, after all, is not in charge of one of the Champions League’s giants. Benfica, who have lost their first two games of the league phase, were a blunt proposition. Chelsea held them at arm’s length.

A couple of late scares will not stop Maresca from dwelling on the positives. Under pressure after a poor run, Chelsea showed resolve to respond to losing against Bayern Munich in the opening week of fixtures. The defending was solid enough to raise hope for tougher assignments. Chelsea, without offering much excitement, delivered. They will look to raise their level again when Liverpool visit on Saturday.

Dealing with the Mourinho show will lift morale. Maresca is yet to inspire as much warmth as his predecessor. The mood has been tense, the memory of Club World Cup glory in danger of fading already. Maresca needed a response. He made five changes after Brighton handed Chelsea their second consecutive league defeat last Saturday. The starting XI, though, was raw. It was unsurprising that Chelsea made a nervy start.

Benfica could have led after eight minutes, a Marc Cucurella error leading to Robert Sánchez pushing Dodi Lukébakio’s shot against a post. Chelsea were loose. Benfica were emboldened. Richard Ríos tested Sánchez again.

Sensing the anxiety, Maresca called for calm when Benoît Badiashile rushed a long pass out of play. Chelsea stirred. Pedro Neto, one of their more experienced players, took over. The winger threatened with a rasping effort and was involved when Chelsea went ahead.

It was the kind of goal a vintage Mourinho team never would have conceded. Neto delivered a deep cross from the right. Garnacho ghosted in unnoticed and saw Ríos turn his cutback into his own net under little pressure.

The frustration for Mourinho, who returned to Benfica two weeks ago, was that Chelsea were short of incision. But this is by no means a great Benfica team. They are third in the Primeira Liga and there is doubt over whether Rui Costa will be re‑elected president this month.

Benfica were bland, unrecognisable, Lukébakio the sole inspiration in attack. George could have made it 2-0 to Chelsea. It was tight. Benfica pushed at the start of the second half. Maresca saw the shift. He took the blame for making poor substitutions when Chelsea were down to 10 during their defeats against Brighton and Manchester United. This time he was positive, Estêvão on for Buonanotte before the hour.

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