Benfica face shock therapy after League Cup aftermath | OneFootball

José Mourinho has once again entered a delicate phase during his time at Benfica. According to reports, upon returning to Seixal, the Portuguese coach made a point of ‘tightening the screws’ with the Benfica squad, leaving several criticisms regarding their performance against Braga, which led to the Eagles’ elimination from the League Cup.

As revealed by the newspaper A Bola, this is the second time the Special One has been involved in a similar episode since his return to Luz. The first occurred following the match against Atlético CP, in the Portuguese Cup. Despite the victory (2-0), the squad did not escape criticism from the Portuguese coach.

The performance against Braga, in which Benfica appeared significantly inferior to the Minho side, was a situation that left the Eagles’ coaching staff, as well as the Board led by Rui Costa, perplexed by what they were witnessing on the pitch at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria.

If the elimination from the League Cup was already painful in itself, the worst for José Mourinho was realizing the tactical and performance regression shown by Benfica. It is important to remember that the Luz club was coming off a run of ten games unbeaten in all competitions and had been displaying more consistent football, especially defensively.

After a night in Seixal, Benfica kicked off preparations for the clash against Porto. With less than a week to go before the match at the Dragão, the squad, as well as the coaching staff and management, are fully aware of the importance of the encounter. In the Benfica universe, it is imperative that the Eagles achieve a positive result in the Clássico.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.