Jose Mourinho Responds to Criticism After His Team Eliminates Real Madrid in the Champions League

Gilabola.com – Benfica’s dramatic victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League is not only worth three points and the euphoria of qualifying for the last 16 play-off round. For Jose Mourinho, this result is a stage to respond to the criticism that is often directed at him.

Benfica surprisingly managed to beat Real Madrid with a score of 4-2 at the Estadio da Luz, Thursday (29/1) WIB. This result confirmed their progress to the last 16 play-off round as well as providing one of the most memorable nights in the Champions League this season.

It looked like the match would go according to Real Madrid’s scenario after Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 30th minute. But the match changed drastically when Benfica responded with high aggressiveness and courage to press the opponent’s defense line.

Two goals from Andreas Schjelderup and one goal from Vangelis Pavlidis gave Benfica a 3-1 lead. Real Madrid managed to reduce the score through Mbappe’s second goal, but the situation became more difficult for the visitors after losing control of their emotions in the final minutes.

The two red cards received by Raul Asencio and Rodrygo made things worse for Alvaro Arbeloa’s team. This loss of discipline and composure opened up space for Benfica to take the final risk which then determined the outcome of the match.

The most iconic moment occurred in the 98th minute, when goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin advanced into the penalty box in a corner kick and successfully scored Benfica’s fourth goal, the goal that ensured their progress to the last 16 play-off round.

Mourinho’s Satire and Message about Respect

Speaking after the match, Jose Mourinho did not miss the opportunity to respond to the criticism that had been directed at him at Benfica. He emphasized that what he expected was not excessive praise, but proportional respect.

He strongly criticized the reaction of some critics who he considered too extreme in assessing the team’s performance. For Mourinho, this victory was not about silencing critics, but also a reminder that process and context cannot be simply ignored.

Mourinho also stressed that the character of his team had not changed since his first day on the job. He described the Benfica squad as a united group of players, willing to work hard, and not giving up even under huge pressure.

In the group phase, Benfica had to face tough opponents such as Napoli, Real Madrid and Juventus. These conditions meant that their chances were considered slim, but Mourinho saw the players’ mental response as the main foundation for this success.

Tactically, Mourinho’s decision in the final minutes showed his courage to read the situation. When he realized that the 3-2 lead was not enough because of the goal difference, he instructed Nicolas Otamendi to come up front.

The decision to send Trubin forward for a free kick in injury time was also not a spontaneous act. Mourinho revealed that the Ukrainian goalkeeper does have the ability and courage to take advantage of dead ball situations.

Crazyball Opinion

For Jose Mourinho, this night in Lisbon was a reminder that the pragmatic approach often criticized by critics who can only criticize that pragmatic tactics is still relevant when combined with discipline and a fighting mentality.