Blockbuster reunion awaits in Europe’s knockout stage
Mourinho’s subsequent Champions League check brings him again to his Actual Madrid previous
Actual Madrid will meet Benfica in Champions League playoff spherical organising main reunion with coach Jose Mourinho.
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A blockbuster playoff match
The Champions League playoff draw held on Friday produced excessive profile conflict between Actual Madrid & Benfica.
The 2 facet already met on Wednesday within the last match of the league part when Benfica secured thrilling 4-2 house victory.
That consequence helped the Portuguese workforce e-book place within the playoff spherical and despatched Madrid into additional knockout step.
Now the groups will face one another once more with one of many greatest storylines being the presence of Jose Mourinho on the Benfica bench.
Mourinho again within the highlight towards Madrid
Mourinho now 63 coached Actual Madrid between 2010 & 2013 and stays probably the most well-known managers within the membership’s trendy historical past.
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The Portuguese coach has additionally loved main Champions League success previously successful the competitors with Porto & Inter Milan.
The upcoming tie would be the seventh time Mourinho has confronted Actual Madrid as opponent.
Earlier than Benfica’s win on Wednesday, his document towards Los Blancos included 4 defeat, one draw and just one victory which got here in the newest assembly.
A Lengthy rivalry throughout Europe
Mourinho first performed towards Actual Madrid as Porto coach in February 2000 dropping each group stage matches.
The perimeters met once more throughout the 2003 /04 season when Madrid received one match and drew the opposite.
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One other notable encounter got here in Tremendous Cup on 8 August 2017 when Mourinho’s Manchester United have been overwhelmed 2-1 by Madrid.
Benfica’s newest triumph lastly gave Mourinho uncommon win over his former membership and added additional pressure forward of the playoff showdown.
The second leg of the playoff is scheduled for twenty-four or 25 February and it’ll mark Mourinho’s first go to to the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Actual Madrid in 2013.
With each golf equipment aiming for spot in Champions League final 16, the tie is predicted to be probably the most watched matchups of the spherical.