Bruno Lage needs Benfica win to join elite group, Mourinho in the mix | OneFootball

Benfica travelled to Turkey to face Fenerbahçe next Wednesday, August 20, at 20:00, in a match for the first leg of the play-off for access to the regular phase of the Champions League. Bruno Lage will be put to the test and, if he beats José Mourinho, he will become the fourth Portuguese coach in history to beat him in away games.

Throughout José Mourinho's vast career, only three Portuguese coaches have achieved the feat of beating his teams as visitors. Bruno Lage has never had the opportunity to do so, as he has only faced the 'Special One' once, about a month ago, in the duel for the Eusébio Cup, and on that occasion, Benfica played at home.

The first to beat José Mourinho as a visitor was António Sousa, over 23 years ago. On the 24th matchday of the 2001/2002 League, Porto received Beira-Mar at the Estádio das Antas and lost 3-2. Goals from Cristiano (27’) and Fary (51’ and 85’) for the Aveiro team and from McCarthy (42’) and Paredes (81’) for the blues and whites.

José Mourinho would lose again at home to a Portuguese coach after a year and a half, on October 1, 2003, when Porto received Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2004 Champions League. The Merengues, coached by Carlos Queiroz and with Luis Figo as a starter, went to the Antas and won 3-1.

Sixteen years passed and Nuno Espírito Santo achieved the feat of beating José Mourinho as a visitor. On March 1, 2020, Tottenham received Wolverhampton on the 28th matchday of the Premier League and lost 3-2. The Portuguese Rui Patrício, João Moutinho, Rúben Neves, Rúben Vinagre, and Diogo Jota were part of the Wolves' eleven, but the winning goal came from the feet of Raúl Jiménez, former Benfica striker.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.