get what they want, provides nearly sufficient of what was anticipated.
The membership’s best ever supervisor ended up providing many of the color to an in any other case drab and predictable 1-0 win.
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can sit just a little extra comfortably forward of the go to of erratic this weekend, regardless of extra awkward questions on one more crimson card. This time it was a late one to substitute Joao Pedro, which Maresca performed down. “We bought what we would have liked,” the supervisor mentioned.
Mourinho exits stage left, now needing his to correctly dig into the underside reaches of the Champions League opening stage.
That’s the factor about this contemporary model of the competitors, too. Chelsea may need wanted a win however they didn’t really want it when it comes to getting by to the subsequent spherical. There are too many security nets for the tremendous golf equipment, an consciousness of which informs numerous the unusual half-games that happen round this stage of the season.
The inducement continues to be principally comfort, and avoiding issues with the calendar. Maresca’s pumped fist on the finish at the very least confirmed it meant a bit extra to him.
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He exchanged an enormous hug with Mourinho on the finish. The Portuguese after all provided a couple of moments of theatre, even when they eluded his group. He got here out from the tunnel performatively late after the Champions League pageantry, though that solely had the impact of making certain he was denied an preliminary particular person reception as the house crowd have been already misplaced in their very own songs. , singing the outdated “Jose Mourinho” chant.
The brand new Benfica supervisor was after all fast to provide the common-or-garden wave of acknowledgment, and spoke warmly about all of it later… if insisting he nonetheless solely feeds himself with outcomes. “I am determined to win the subsequent match,” he mentioned, after a short appraisal of his personal profession.
He was in a while enjoying peace-maker, operating effectively exterior his technical space to implore the travelling Benfica followers to not throw issues at former participant Enzo Fernandez. You would possibly name it the anti-Ange Postecoglou, provided that the Australian had cupped an ear at his personal followers on that exact same patch of grass.
The away help after all listened to their new supervisor, who provided one other little scene from his return journey to Chelsea.
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All of this was traditional Mourinho, if not traditional Mourinho defensive. Garnacho was given yards of house in the back of the Benfica defence, from which Neto simply picked him out. When Richard Rios belatedly tried to shut him down, he solely succeeded in diverting the ball into his personal purpose.
Mourinho was handed a yellow as Benfica protested a second-half choice which went in opposition to them (Motion Photos through Reuters)
Mourinho had already spoken earlier than the sport about the way it’s early days with this group, which may at the very least clarify such house. It’s one thing he’s going to must drill.
Garnacho couldn’t declare the purpose however he may get pleasure from what felt like a primary correctly productive night time for his new membership, in what was simply his second begin. The Argentine always provided spark on the flank, and one velvet contact within the second half introduced a murmur of appreciation from the gang.
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The larger take a look at might be how typically Maresca really trusts him within the greatest video games.
One in every of many causes for Chelsea’s current dip is that they’re going by a little bit of an damage disaster, which noticed Garnacho restored to the group. Maresca mentioned it had been tough to search out rhythm. It additionally explains the flatter nature of this match, even when Maresca’s extra passive soccer has been a supply of supporter disgruntlement for a while.
This by no means actually developed into that public recognition contest with Mourinho that had been anticipated. That was largely as a result of this was by no means actually a contest in any respect. The rating could have been a mere 1-0 however today there may be far an excessive amount of of a niche when it comes to income.
Garnacho loved a productive night, together with his deflected strike the one purpose (Chelsea FC through Getty Photos)
The trendy Benfica, as Mourinho spoke at size about earlier than the sport, simply can’t hope to correctly compete with a Twenty first-century English super-club. He mentioned related afterwards, pointing to how Malo Gusto was struggling however Maresca may carry on “a greater participant” in Reece James. “That’s their energy”.
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Not even Vangelis Pavlidis, just lately the tormentor of England with Greece, provided a lot. Probably the most Benfica had was a shot in opposition to the put up from Dodi Lukebakio simply minutes into the match, after which a little bit of a flurry after half-time.
That was traditional Mourinho, too. Check the opposition with early depth, earlier than withdrawing.
Like a lot with this whole event, although, it was a little bit of pale facsimile of the originals.
With this single win, Chelsea now don’t have to do far more to get by to the subsequent spherical. That’s nearly a foregone conclusion.
They do have to do much more to truly counsel they’ll win this competitors and grow to be European champions, regardless of that badge proclaiming them as world champions on their shirt. That is the true degree, even when it can take us a couple of months to truly see it.