Jose Mourinho, Benfica's coach, has voiced his desire to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League ahead of their playoff clash. The match rematches Benfica's 4-2 group stage victory over Los Blancos. Mourinho faces his former player Alvaro Arbeloa, now Real Madrid's coach.
Jose Mourinho has issued a bold statement ahead of the Champions League playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid, set for the round of 16 qualifiers on Wednesday (February 18) early WIB time. This encounter rematches their group stage meeting, where Benfica upset Real Madrid 4-2, causing the Spanish giants to miss direct qualification to the last 16 and drop to ninth place. Benfica, meanwhile, rose to 24th and secured a playoff spot.
Mourinho, who once coached Real Madrid, will face off against Alvaro Arbeloa, his former player now leading the team. While respecting Arbeloa, Mourinho emphasized his intent. "I hope Arbeloa succeeds, wins La Liga, and has a long career at Real Madrid. He's a great person and deserves it. But I really want to eliminate Real Madrid," Mourinho said, as quoted by Reuters.
The coach, known as The Special One, acknowledged the formidable challenge. "Beating Real Madrid once is already very difficult. Imagine doing it two or three times. A big team that's lost and hurt is always a threat," he stated. Mourinho noted Real Madrid's drive to win the Champions League, while Benfica arrives confident from their prior victory. "Real Madrid's motivation isn't just to beat Benfica, but to win the Champions League. Meanwhile, we come to win and we know exactly what to do like in the last match," he asserted.