Key Benfica man reassures José Mourinho: That wasn’t what we deserved | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi refuses to throw in the towel regarding Benfica's future in the Champions League. After the home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen – in which the Eagles were harmed by the refereeing – the captain of the Clube da Luz left a message of hope for the fans.

"It was not the result we deserved, but we will fight until the end," wrote Nicolás Otamendi in a post on social media last Thursday, November 6, following the home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the fourth round of the regular phase of the Champions League.

After defeats against Qarabag (3-2, home), Chelsea (1-0, away), Newcastle (3-0, away), and Bayer Leverkusen (1-0, home), Benfica will now face Ajax (November 25, 5:45 pm, away), Napoli (December 10, 8:00 pm, home), Juventus (January 21, 8:00 pm, away), and Real Madrid (January 28, 8:00 pm, home) in the Champions League.

In the 2025/26 season, wearing only the Benfica shirt, Nicolás Otamendi – valued at 1 million euros – has played 20 matches: 10 in Liga Portugal Betclic, eight in the Champions League, one in the League Cup, and another in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. In the 1,800 minutes he has been on the pitch, the center-back has scored two goals.

After the fourth defeat in four games in this edition of the Champions League, Benfica now turns its attention back to Liga Portugal Betclic. Next Sunday, at 8:30 pm, José Mourinho's team will host Casa Pia at Estádio da Luz. The match is part of the 11th round of the National Championship.

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