When the two teams rematch on Tuesday night in the Champions League play-offs, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho thinks Real Madrid will arrive in Lisbon with a bruised sense of pride and a desire for vengeance.
Last month, the Portuguese champions shocked Europe by defeating the 15-time European Cup winners 4–2, securing their spot in the knockout stages in a spectacular fashion. At the Estadio da Luz, goalie Anatoliy Trubin emerged as the improbable hero, heading home the game-winning goal against Thibaut Courtois in the 98th minute.
The competition was rocked by such outcome. Madrid, who had been comfortably in third place, lost out on automatic qualifying after dropping to ninth place in the league phase’s final standings.
Now that another matchup is imminent, Mourinho has issued a warning that the Spanish powerhouses will not be amenable to the incident.
“They have injuries. Additionally, a wounded king poses a threat,” the former Madrid coach stated.
With our heads, ambition, and confidence, we will play the first leg. We are aware of what we did to the Champions League kings.
Benfica’s hearts had seemed destined to be broken in the previous encounter. They were in danger of being eliminated on goals scored, even though they had a 3-2 lead in the closing minutes.
Late anarchy, however, altered everything. After Rodrygo and Raul Asencio were sent off in extra time, Madrid was down to nine men. After a last-minute free-kick, Trubin’s incredible header drove the Lisbon crowd into a frenzy.
At 20:00 GMT, Benfica, who are presently in third place in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, will host the opening leg at the Estadio da Luz. Mourinho anticipates another rigorous test.
“There is no doubt that the tie will be extremely demanding,” he stated.
“Trubin will not participate in the Luz Stadium attack. I’m accustomed to these kinds of relationships.
“I’ve done it my entire life. For this or that reason, people frequently believe you need a specific outcome in the first leg. There is no conclusive outcome, in my opinion.
