Chelsea welcome Benfica to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night for their second UEFA Champions League group-stage match, and all eyes will be on José Mourinho as he makes another emotional return to West London.
Chelsea vs Benfica – Key Numbers
Our supercomputer gives Chelsea a 56.8% chance of victory compared to Benfica’s 21.1%.
- Mourinho has won just 4 of his 14 games against Chelsea.
- Benfica have not beaten an English side in their last eight attempts.
Mourinho’s Homecoming
The Portuguese tactician, now 62, recently took charge of Benfica again after Bruno Lage was dismissed following a shock defeat to Qarabag in their opening UCL fixture. Mourinho began his managerial career with the Eagles, but his legacy was carved at Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and the FA Cup in 2007.
His record against Chelsea, however, is poor. Across 14 clashes, Mourinho has managed only four wins, failing to win any of the last seven. His most recent success came in February 2018, when his Manchester United side edged Chelsea 2-1. Since his famous 2010 victory with Inter at Stamford Bridge, he has gone six away games there without a win (D2 L4).
Benfica’s Struggles Against English Clubs
Recent history is not in Benfica’s favour. The Portuguese giants are winless in their last eight meetings with English opposition (D3 L5), last tasting victory against Tottenham in the 2013/14 Europa League. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 straight matches against English sides.
Their campaign started badly this season, collapsing from 2-0 up to lose 3-2 at home to Qarabag. It was their second such collapse of 2025, having let slip a two-goal cushion in a 5-4 defeat to Barcelona earlier in the year.
Chelsea’s Form Guide
Enzo Maresca’s side are also under pressure. The Blues have only one win in their last five games in all competitions – a narrow 2-1 comeback over League One side Lincoln City in the EFL Cup. A 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday extended their Premier League slump to three matches without victory (D1 L2).
In Europe, Chelsea began with a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich, their third consecutive Champions League defeat -the club’s longest losing run in the competition. However, they remain solid at home, unbeaten in the group/league stage since September 2019 (7 wins, 4 draws).
Head-to-Head Record
Chelsea have faced Benfica four times in competitive action and won them all, most recently in June at the Club World Cup where they triumphed 4-1 after extra time. Across those meetings, the Blues hold an aggregate score of 9-3.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea: Sánchez; Gusto, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Fernández, Estêvão, Neto; George.
Coach: Enzo Maresca
Benfica: Trubin; Dedic, António Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Ríos, Barrenechea, Aursnes; Sudakov, Schjelderup, Pavlidis.
Coach: José Mourinho
Prediction
The supercomputer expects Chelsea to take control of this tie, giving them a 56.8% win probability. Benfica’s chances stand at just 21.1%, with the draw marginally more likely at 22.1%.
Mourinho’s return adds plenty of spice, but if form and statistics are anything to go by, Chelsea remain favourites to claim their first UCL group win of the season.
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