Benfica manager José Mourinho has identified two Chelsea players who, in his view, struggled during Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge, despite the Blues securing a 1-0 victory.
An own goal from Richard Rios in the first half proved decisive as Enzo Maresca’s men edged out the Portuguese giants to claim all three points in Group D.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Mourinho — who famously enjoyed two trophy-laden spells at Chelsea — admitted that Benfica were able to exploit weaknesses in the opposition before tactical changes were made.
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“Malo Gusto was already struggling, [Reece] James came in. Garnacho was already struggling, [Jamie] Gittens came in. We are a bit limited,” Mourinho said, as quoted by Metro UK.
Both Gusto and Garnacho were substituted in the second half, with James and Gittens introduced to stabilize Chelsea’s play.
However, Maresca defended Garnacho’s performance, insisting the Argentine teenager was effective against a well-drilled Benfica side.
“He was very good,” Maresca said in his post-match remarks.
The match highlighted Chelsea’s growing reliance on squad depth, as Mourinho’s Benfica tested their resilience in front of a lively Stamford Bridge crowd.
