The first leg of the 2025/2026 Champions League play-offs in Lisbon was a rather heated affair. Benfica lost 0-1 to Real Madrid at home, and the most talked-about moment of the match was not the goal, but the dramatic scenes on the sidelines.
The home team's head coach Jose Mourinho was sent off during the match. His words were typical of Mourinho, direct and bitter: as if he had been sent off for "speaking the simple truth."
Mourinho told Marca that the referee had a special list of Real Madrid players who would miss the next match if they received another yellow card. He stressed that, based on experience, he understood well which players were in the “danger zone”. At the same time, he did not blame the opponent: Real Madrid deserved to win, he said.
The most serious thing is that the punishment is not limited to a one-match suspension. According to Mourinho, he will not be able to be with his team in the second leg, and is even deprived of the right to enter the locker room and talk to the players. However, he has also prepared a “plan B”: he expressed confidence that his assistants will do their job.
The most striking episode in the match itself occurred in the 85th minute. Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior kicked the home team midfielder Richard Rios in the leg. Referee Francois Letexe ignored the situation. Naturally, this “exploded” the Benfica camp: because Vinicius had already been warned for an unusual goal celebration and a fight with the opponent’s defender Gianluca Prestiani. That is, the “nerves” on the field were already running high.
Mourinho could not restrain himself at this point: he sharply complained to the assistant referee, openly showed his disapproval with active gestures and first received a yellow card. Then, after a conversation with the referee, a second yellow card was issued - as a result, the coach was forced to leave the field.
In short, Benfica lost by a small margin, but the psychological background before the next match was significantly heated. Now the main question in the return match is: will Benfica manage to equalize on the field and how will the team react without Mourinho? One thing is certain - this pair is not over the "series" yet.
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