Champions League Matchday 2: Chelsea vs Benfica facts

José Mourinho's first UEFA Champions League match as Benfica coach takes him back to Stamford Bridge to face former club Chelsea.

Last match

Chelsea have won all three matches between these teams, triumphing in the 2011/12 Champions League quarter-final (1-0 a, 2-1 h) and 2-1 in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final.

Chelsea have won all six games against Portuguese visitors at Stamford Bridge. Their most recent contests against a Portuguese team came again Porto in the 2020/21 quarter-finals with both legs played in Seville (2-0, 0-1) – that second-leg loss one of only two of Chelsea's last 12 games involving Portuguese clubs they have not won (L2).

Benfica are without a win in seven matches against English teams (D3 L4), since a 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the 2013/14 Europa League round of 16 first leg.

Chelsea

This is Chelsea's 20th Champions League campaign, and a first since 2022/23, when they reached the quarter-finals – they have reached the knockout rounds in their last eight campaigns.

Enzo Maresca's side won the UEFA Conference League in 2024/25, beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final.

Benfica

This is Benfica's 45th European Cup campaign, behind only Real Madrid's 56. This is their 20th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 15th in the last 16 seasons.

In 2024/25 the Eagles were 16th in the league phase (W4 D1 L3), beating Monaco 4-3 in the knockout phase play-offs before a 1-4 aggregate last-16 loss to Barcelona.

Key stats

Mourinho, who succeeded Bruno Lage as Benfica coach on 18 September, was Chelsea manager from June 2004 to September 2007 and again from June 2013 to December 2015, winning three Premier League titles.

Mourinho was in charge of the Fenerbahçe side beaten 1-0 on aggregate by Benfica in this season's play-offs.

Chelsea have lost only two of their last 59 European group stage/league phase matches at Stamford Bridge and are unbeaten in 14 (W10 D4).

The 3-1 loss at Bayern München on Matchday 1 made it three successive Champions League defeats for Chelsea – the longest sequence in the club's history.

Benfica have lost only one of their last six away European games (W4 D1).

The Eagles have won four of their last five away games in the Champions League group stage/league phase (L1), including the last two.

Benfica have kept four clean sheets in their last five away European games.

A 2-3 Matchday 1 defeat by Qarabağ – a game in which Benfica had led 2-0 after 16 minutes – made it three successive losses in the Champions League proper.