Jose Mourinho has never been shy about playing mind games before a big match. But ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League playoff first leg between Benfica and Real Madrid at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, the 63-year-old Portuguese manager sounds less like someone stirring the pot and more like someone who genuinely respects — and fears — what is coming.
Mourinho issued a direct warning to his own players on Monday, reminding them that the version of Real Madrid arriving in Lisbon is not the same side Benfica humiliated 4-2 just three weeks ago. The 15-time European champions are wounded, he said — and that makes them more dangerous, not less.
Mourinho on the Wounded King Theory
The phrase that has captured the football world this week came straight from Mourinho’s pre-match press conference. Real Madrid, he explained, had been embarrassed. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a stunning 98th-minute header to seal Benfica’s dramatic win in the league phase, sending Madrid crashing out of the automatic round of 16 places. That result was historic. But Mourinho is not letting his squad treat it as a blueprint.
He believes Benfica can eliminate Real Madrid without needing a miracle — but it will demand near-perfection from every player on the pitch. What Mourinho is not willing to accept is complacency built on the memory of one extraordinary night.
A Complicated Homecoming for the Special One
For Mourinho, this tie carries an emotional weight that goes beyond tactics. He managed Real Madrid for three seasons between 2010 and 2013, winning a LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Supercup. He has spoken openly about the deep connection he still feels to the club, calling it a lifelong bond built on giving everything he had during his time there.
That history makes Tuesday’s match one of the most layered encounters of Mourinho’s career. He is not just coaching against a rival — he is lining up against a club whose DNA he helped shape, now managed by Alvaro Arbeloa, a man Mourinho openly praised as having the personality and Madridista spirit to lead Los Blancos for years to come.
Mourinho was also asked directly about rumours linking him to the Real Madrid job following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso. He shut it down firmly, pointing out that his Benfica contract still has a year remaining and that his focus is entirely on Lisbon. There is, he made clear, nothing between him and Real Madrid beyond history and respect.
What Changed for Real Madrid Since the Loss
Real Madrid have not collapsed since the Benfica defeat. Under Arbeloa, they have won three consecutive La Liga matches and arrive in Lisbon with momentum and a squad still loaded with elite talent. Kylian Mbappé, who has scored 31 goals across all competitions this season, is in the squad and expected to start. Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo are both unavailable — Bellingham through injury and Rodrygo through suspension — which creates genuine uncertainty in midfield and attack for the visitors.
Opta simulations give Real Madrid a 49% chance of winning the first leg, with Benfica at 27%. Those numbers reflect the reality Mourinho already knows — Benfica are heavy underdogs, and the odds have not shifted dramatically despite the result in the league phase.
The Return Leg and What Mourinho Wants From Tonight
Mourinho is not chasing a statement result on Tuesday. He wants a performance that gives Benfica a real platform heading into the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu on February 25. His players, he has said, deserve to be on this stage — they lost their first four league-phase matches before grinding out nine points against Juventus, Real Madrid, and Napoli to qualify. That kind of resilience, Mourinho believes, is exactly what this moment calls for again.
The Special One has spent a lifetime in knockout football. He knows how these ties are won and lost. And right now, Mourinho is betting that Benfica’s hunger — and Real Madrid’s wounded pride — could make for the most unpredictable night in this season’s Champions League so far.
