Chelsea Edge Benfica 1-0 Amid Mourinho Return

Chelsea beat Benfica 1-0 at Stamford Bridge after Benfica defender Richard Rios inadvertently turned Alejandro Garnacho’s cross into his own net in the 18th minute. The match marked José Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge as Benfica boss; he received a warm reception and urged fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea captain Enzo Fernández, who was targeted by travelling supporters. Fernández, who has been involved in 16 goals in his past 27 appearances, provided leadership and attacking threat in Cole Palmer’s absence. The game was scrappy and low on creativity, and it ended with a late sending-off for João Pedro deep in stoppage time, highlighting defensive and disciplinary concerns. The victory gives Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca some breathing room ahead of a testing run of fixtures, though coverage described the performance as unconvincing and more notable for Mourinho’s return than for the quality of play.