Mourinho eyes Porto-Benfica, promises another squad shake-up | OneFootball

José Mourinho is determined to leave behind what happened in Leiria. According to reports, during the training session held on Friday morning, the Portuguese coach relied on a significant contingent of youth players, thus continuing preparations for the clash between Benfica and Porto.

As reported by the newspaper Record in its Saturday edition, January 10, the Special One’s strategy is to provoke a new ‘shake-up’ in the Eagles’ main squad, aiming to obtain the desired reaction for the Portuguese Cup match, scheduled for next Wednesday, January 14, at Estádio do Dragão.

The sports daily assures that Mourinho intends to send a message to the squad that he will not hesitate to bet on the youngsters from Seixal if he feels that some of the usual starters are not up to the task for the Classic. This approach is similar to the shock therapy implemented after the match against Atlético CP.

It is worth recalling that this strategy ended up having positive effects, since after that Portuguese Cup match, Benfica delivered a top-level performance in Amsterdam, where they earned their first points in the Champions League against Ajax.

Thus, José Mourinho is looking to finally put the ghosts of the Allianz Cup behind him and ensure that Benfica delivers the desired response in the clash with the Dragons. Remember, the match between the two rivals is scheduled for January 14, and a win secures a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup.

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