Head coach of Portuguese side Benfica José Mourinho admitted that the defeat to Qarabag at the start of the Champions League group stage became a key moment that placed his team in a difficult position in the tournament, Idman.Biz reports.
"We have six points. If Benfica had not lost at home to Qarabag early on, we would have nine, and we would be one step away from reaching the next round", Mourinho said at the post-match press conference, emphasizing the importance of that match.
The Portuguese specialist added that the defeat significantly complicated the team’s task.
"The schedule is incredibly tough, but that loss immediately put us on the verge of elimination. That’s why today’s victory was extremely important - otherwise the story would have been over", he stated.
It should be noted that in the sixth round of the Champions League main stage, Benfica defeated Italy’s Napoli 2-0 in Lisbon.
Recall that also in Lisbon, in the first round, Qarabag beat Benfica 3-2. Following that defeat, the Lisbon club dismissed head coach Bruno Lage, appointing José Mourinho as his replacement. Additionally, in the fifth round of the UCL, the Aghdam side lost 0-2 away to Napoli.
Teymur Tushiev
