An out-of-sorts Chelsea welcome José Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, as Benfica travel to west London on Matchday Two of the league phase.
The Blues have picked up just a single win since the September international break (against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup), and their Champions League campaign started with a 3–1 defeat at Bayern Munich, who look like a contender to go all the way this term.
Enzo Maresca’s side have since lost back-to-back Premier League games, and Saturday’s 3–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion forced the club to reassert their faith in the manager, who’s currently dealing with a litany of injury absences.
Mourinho’s return will dominate the narratives surrounding this fixture, but the three-time Premier League champion with the Blues has previously resurfaced in SW6 as manager of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur since his second Chelsea exit.
The Portuguese coach succeeded Bruno Lage as Benfica boss after their 3–2 defeat to Qarabağ on Matchday 1, with the Lisbon-based outfit winning two and drawing another under Mourinho’s watch so far.
Here’s’s guide to Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge return.
