"It took the Special One five tries to do it, but Jose Mourinho finally guided Benfica to a first Champions League win of the season on Tuesday in Amsterdam. An early goal from Samuel Dahl and a very late one from Leandro Barreiro earned Benfica their first points of the 2025-26 league phase of the competition with a 2-0 win over Ajax."
"Mourinho was named Benfica coach in September, three weeks after parting ways with Turkish side Fenerbahce, and with the appointment came a chance to return to coaching in the Champions League for the Portuguese club. However, the two-time Champions League-winning coach, oversaw four losses in his first four games with Benfica that had left them at the bottom of the table and as extreme long shots to reach the knockout rounds of the competition."
"Following their most recent defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on Nov. 5, Mourinho said he still felt the team had a chance to get into the top 24 spots that continue into the knockout phase of the competition. "Nobody can convince me that we're out," Mourinho said after the the loss to Leverkusen. Benfica are now on three points from five games and play the first of their three remaining matches against fellow strugglers Napoli on Dec. 10."
José Mourinho guided Benfica to a 2-0 win over Ajax in Amsterdam, with an early Samuel Dahl goal and a very late Leandro Barreiro strike. Mourinho was named Benfica coach in September, three weeks after parting ways with Fenerbahce, and returned to manage Benfica in the Champions League. Mourinho lost each of his first four games with Benfica, leaving the club at the bottom of the group and facing long odds to advance. Benfica now have three points from five matches. Benfica will play Napoli on Dec. 10 in the first of three remaining group games to try to reach the knockout phase.
Read at ESPN
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