Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has warned Real Madrid that they will be “wounded and dangerous” after their dramatic Champions League defeat to his side last month, as the two teams prepare to meet again in the competition.
Benfica secured their place in the knockout stages with a stunning 4-2 victory over Madrid in the final league match, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a 98th-minute header.
The defeat in Lisbon saw the 15-time European champions drop from third to ninth place, missing out on automatic qualification.
“They are wounded,” said former Real Madrid boss Mourinho. “And a wounded king is always dangerous. We will play the first leg with our heads, our ambition, and our confidence. We know what we did to the kings of the Champions League.”
Benfica, currently third in the Portuguese league, will host the first leg of this tie at the Estádio da Luz next Tuesday, before traveling to Madrid next week for the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Mourinho acknowledged that the match will be “undoubtedly very demanding,” adding jokingly, “Truipin won’t be in attack at the Estádio da Luz. I’ve been used to these kinds of matches my whole life; people often think you need a certain result in the first leg for this reason or that, but I say there’s no definitive result in the first leg.”
