Benfica manager Jose Mourinho believes Real Madrid will arrive in Lisbon with pride bruised and revenge on their minds when the two sides meet again in the Champions League play-offs on Tuesday night.
The Portuguese champions stunned Europe last month with a breathless 4-2 win over the 15-time European Cup winners, sealing their place in the knockout rounds dramatically. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin was the unlikely hero, rising in the 98th minute to head home the winner against Thibaut Courtois at the Estadio da Luz.
That result sent shockwaves through the competition. Madrid, who had been sitting comfortably in third, slipped to ninth in the final standings of the league phase and missed out on automatic qualification.
Now, with another showdown looming, Mourinho has warned that the Spanish giants will not take kindly to what happened.
“They are wounded. And a wounded king is dangerous,” said the former Madrid coach.
“We will play the first leg with our heads, ambition and confidence. We know what we did to the kings of the Champions League.”
The previous encounter had seemed destined to break Benfica hearts. Despite leading 3-2 late on, they were staring at elimination on goals scored.
However, late chaos changed everything. Madrid were reduced to nine men after Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were dismissed in added time. A last-gasp free-kick followed, and Trubin’s extraordinary header sent the Lisbon crowd into raptures.
Benfica, currently third in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, will host the first leg at the Estadio da Luz at 20:00 GMT. Mourinho expects another stern examination.
“The tie will be very demanding, without a doubt,” he said.
“Trubin won’t be in the attack at the Luz stadium. I’m very used to these kinds of ties.
“I’ve been doing it all my life. People often think you need a certain result in the first leg for this or that reason. I say there is no definitive result.”