Jose Mourinho’s Benfica stunned Real Madrid in the final league-phase game of the UEFA Champions League to seal their place in the playoffs. The two sides are now set to clash once again in a 2-leg knockout game, and the Portuguese manager has now made interesting comments about the clash.
Jose Mourinho Heaps Praise on Real Madrid
Benfica won 4-2 when the two sides met at the Estádio da Luz earlier this week. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the final minute of injury time to seal the win, and the goal helped them make it to the playoffs by finishing in the final spot.
The good news of qualifying for the playoffs came with some tough news, as Benfica had to face Real Madrid again or take on last season’s runners-up, Inter Milan. The Portuguese side was handed the toughest possible draw, and they are now set to take on Los Blancos in February for a spot in the Round of 16.
Mourinho has now commented on the match, saying they had little choice and heaping praise on the opponents. He hailed the Spanish side as the kings of the competition, having won it 15 times. The former Chelsea manager added that he showed the club’s jersey to his Benfica players after the game last week and pointed at the stars and said:
“We only had two options, Real Madrid or Inter Milan. We didn’t have much choice. We drew the king. The other day, when a Real Madrid player offered me his shirt after the match, I jokingly showed my players the badge they had on their shirts. 15 of them. They are the king. With all that that implies. It’s not just history. We’re going to play against, arguably, the biggest contender to win the competition.”
Mourinho managed Real Madrid for three seasons, winning the league title once, but he failed to deliver in the UEFA Champions League.
Los Blancos manager Alvaro Arbeloa was also asked in the press conference ahead of the Rayo Vallecano game if he was preparing for the Champions League game, but he was adamant that they were only focused on their league game.
“We’re focused on Rayo, fully aware of the difficulty and demands of the match. And that’s all we’re concentrating on. On continuing to improve, to grow. And knowing that everyone’s performance needs to be very high to win every game. It’s not something that only happens to us, but to everyone. If you want to win, you have to be at a very high level both collectively and individually.”
The first leg takes place on Feb. 17 or 18 at the Estádio da Luz, with the second leg on Feb. 24 or 25 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
