Mourinho absence fails to stop 10-match Champions League knockout drought at Real Madrid | OneFootball

José Mourinho missed Real Madrid v Benfica through suspension, but his Champions League knockout winless run stretched to 10 with a 2-1 defeat at the Bernabéu. As reported by Glorioso 1904, his absence did little to change the direction of that record.

Benfica struck first through Rafa Silva after a bright start. Real Madrid responded, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vinicius Jr. turning the match.

Nearly 16 years after lifting his second Champions League crown at the same stadium, now as Benfica coach Mourinho saw the contrast laid bare. The sequence continued in the very arena of his past triumph.

His last knockout success in the competition came in 2014, during his second spell at Chelsea, when PSG were ousted in the quarter-finals. The barren spell has lasted ever since.

Benfica’s European campaign ended on Wednesday, 25 February, with elimination in the Champions League play-off. Focus now switches to Liga Portugal Betclic, their sole route back to the Champions League in 2026/27, with Gil Vicente next in the 24th round.

Source: Glorioso 1904