Chelsea ended their three-game Champions League losing streak with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Benfica at Stamford Bridge. An early own goal from Richard Ríos separated the two sides on a night where José Mourinho returned to face his former club but left empty-handed. The result keeps Chelsea’s home record in the group stage intact, while Benfica’s miserable run in Europe continued.
Key Insights
- Chelsea ended a run of three straight UEFA Champions League defeats, while remaining unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in the group/league phase across their last 12 games (8W, 4D).
- Benfica have now lost each of their last four UEFA Champions League matches, their longest streak in the competition since March–September 2018 (8 defeats).
- Chelsea have scored 14 own goals in the Champions League — only Barcelona (20), Real Madrid (19), and Bayern Munich (18) have more.
Match Commentary
In a cagey affair lacking attacking sparkle, Chelsea did just enough to secure three points. The only goal came in the 18th minute when Richard Ríos accidentally turned a Neto-Garnacho move into his own net.
Benfica responded with spells of possession and a couple of half-chances, but Chelsea’s backline and goalkeeper Sánchez stood firm. João Pedro’s red card late in the match ended any hopes of a Portuguese equalizer.
Chelsea edged possession at 56% and created a slightly higher xG tally (0.93) than Benfica’s 0.86, reflecting how few clear-cut chances either side produced. In the end, the Blues’ resilience kept Mourinho’s men at bay and delivered a morale-boosting win under Enzo Maresca.
Match Stats
- Shots: Chelsea 8 – 9 Benfica
- Shots on target: 3 – 3
- Possession: 57% – 43%
- Pass accuracy: 88% – 82%
- Fouls: 13 – 14
- Corners: 3 – 5
- Red cards: Chelsea 1 – 0 Benfica
Lineups
Chelsea (4-3-3):
Sánchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Buonanotte, Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, George, Garnacho.
Subs: Gittens, João Pedro (red 90+6’), Reece James, Acheampong, Estêvão, Jörgensen, Hato, Guiu, Lavia, Walsh, Merrick.
Manager: Enzo Maresca.
Benfica (4-3-3):
Trubin; Dahl, Otamendi, A. Silva, Dedić; Aursnes, Barrenchea, Ríos (OG 18’); Sudakov, Pavlidis, Lukebakio.
Subs: Ivanović, Barreiro, Schjelderup, Araújo, Araújo, Obrador, Soares, Nazaré, Oliveira, Veloso, Rego, Prioste.
Manager: José Mourinho.
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