After a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg, Fenerbahce struggled at Da Luz yesterday. Mourinho's side held 47% possession, managing six shots with none on target, compared to Benfica's 15 shots and three on target. The home side found the net three times, with Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu's 35th-minute goal ultimately proving decisive.
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Fenerbahce (right) lost to Benfica in the Champions League play-off round and will compete in the Europa League. Photo: Fenerbahce |
Fenerbahce (right) lost to Benfica in the Champions League play-off round and will compete in the Europa League. Photo: Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce rallied in the second half, their best chance coming from Youssef En Nesyri's header that struck the crossbar. In the 82nd minute, Anderson Talisca received a second yellow card and was sent off, ending any hopes of a comeback for the Turkish side.
The 0-1 defeat relegates Fenerbahce to the Europa League and marks their 17th year without a Champions League group stage appearance. For Mourinho, this is the sixth consecutive season he has missed the Champions League group stage. His last appearance in the tournament proper, excluding qualifying and play-off rounds, was with Tottenham in the 2019-2020 season, where they exited in the round of 16.
After the match, Mourinho conceded that Benfica deserved to advance. "They are stronger, more experienced, and have more options than us," the 62-year-old manager said. "We didn't play well in the first half, losing many challenges and failing to match their tempo. We improved in the second half, even creating some clear chances, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. When we went down to 10 men, the game swung further in Benfica's favor. It's hard to say otherwise; they deserved the win."
The Portuguese manager then shifted his focus to Europe's second-tier competition. "We must be ready for the Europa League," he emphasized. "There are strong teams in the Europa League this year. We will continue our journey there."
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Manager Jose Mourinho (in black) reacts during the match. Photo: Fenerbahce |
Manager Jose Mourinho (in black) reacts during the match. Photo: Fenerbahce
Last season, Fenerbahce also lost in the Champions League qualifiers to Lille and subsequently competed in the Europa League. There, they were eliminated by Rangers in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.
Mourinho took the helm at Fenerbahce in the summer of 2024. He didn't win any trophies in his first season in Turkey, with the team finishing second in the Super Lig, losing to Galatasaray in the quarterfinals of the Turkish Cup, and exiting the Europa League in the round of 16.
Hong Duy
