In the third round of the Champions League group stage this season, Benfica lost 0-3 away to Newcastle United. Benfica manager José Mourinho gave a post-match interview.
What do you think of the team’s overall performance tonight? How did the team play?
We played very well in the first half, but the result was completely undeserved. It’s not easy to play such a first half here. We created four great chances and even hit the post. In my opinion, we were the side closer to taking the lead in the first half. But in the second half, after conceding the second goal, the momentum completely shifted, and the final result became reasonable.
Do you think the team’s performance after the second goal was due to a mental issue?
I don’t think it’s a mental problem. I think it’s more about the gap in quality and characteristics between the two teams. They are physically stronger, play at a faster pace, have higher match intensity, and they also have bench strength that can change the dynamics of the game at any time.
Actually, in the first half, and even before the second goal in the second half, we stayed compact. But once we were 0-2 down, the players instinctively wanted to chase the score, which stretched the game and created more space. Their physicality, tackling ability, and speed are all stronger than ours. The intensity of leagues like the Premier League requires teams to keep evolving in these aspects, and we really came under a lot of pressure in the second half.
After three matches, what do you think of the team’s current situation in the Champions League?
We still have 15 points left to compete for. Losing away to Chelsea and Newcastle isn’t really fatal; the real regret is losing at home to Qarabag. We currently have zero points, but we still have three home games left. I think if we can get 10 or 11 points, we’ll have a chance to advance. So it’s not over yet—the competition continues.
What is the most urgent issue now? How do you plan to help the team turn things around?
I think domestic competitions are where we can really compete and win, whether it’s the league or cup competitions. Facing these top teams in European competitions is indeed more difficult. But I still believe we played well away to Chelsea, and our first-half performance today was also worthy of recognition. The team actually played well; we were just unlucky.
