Casa Pía 1-1 Benfica
Mourinho’s Benfica dropped points in the Lisbon derby against Casa Pía (1-1), remaining seven points behind league leaders Porto.
José Mourinho, sitting on the bench
The Benfica side managed by José Mourinho can still boast of being the only team in Europe’s top leagues without a league defeat this season. However, they have accumulated too many draws along the way. The latest came in the other Lisbon derby against Casa Pía (1-1), denying them the chance to reignite their title challenge in Portugal.
Mourinho fielded his strongest lineup, pairing Enzo Barrenechea and Richard Ríos in the double pivot, while opting for Lukébakio on the right wing to build on his strong performances during the international break with Belgium. The former Sevilla winger scored a brace against the United States and also found the net against Mexico.
As expected, Benfica dominated possession, but they only created clear chances five minutes before halftime, with Pavlidis having two opportunities. First, his header from close range went wide, then Sequeira denied the Greek striker with a save.
Benfica lost some momentum after the break, and Mourinho brought on Prestianni just before the hour mark. The substitution paid off immediately, as Prestianni delivered a cross that Schjelderup laid off at the far post for Richard Ríos to score the opener in the 68th minute. It was the fourth goal generated by the former Palmeiras man in the last three matchdays, highlighting his growing importance in the second half of the season.
The match seemed decided given Casa Pía’s lack of threat. But in one of their few attacking forays, they capitalized on Benfica’s defensive frailty to equalize through Rafael Brito with just 10 minutes remaining.
Mourinho didn’t wait for the ball to be in play before bringing on attackers Ivanovic and Anísio Cabral, pushing for a winner. The young Portuguese striker, who has rescued Benfica on several occasions this season, had the chance to grab the victory but fired wide from the heart of the box. Unlike Sporting CP, Benfica failed to take advantage of Porto’s unexpected slip-up, leaving them seven points adrift at the top.
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