Chelsea earned their first win of the Champions League league phase with a narrow 1-0 victory over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica at Stamford Bridge.
It was the 15th time Mourinho has faced his former club as a manager, but just his fourth winless return — and his first trip back to West London since November 2020.
The Blues made a sloppy start and nearly fell behind when Richard Ríos tested Robert Sanchez early on. Ironically, it was the Colombian midfielder who later handed Chelsea the lead, diverting a Pedro Neto cross — cut back smartly by Alejandro Garnacho — into his own net.
Moises Caicedo produced what has now become a trademark display — business as usual for the Ecuadorian, which still means an exceptionally high standard.
The midfielder had been a doubt heading into the game, carrying a knock since the start of the season. Yet there were no signs of struggle. Combative in the air and relentless on the ground, he dictated the tempo with simple, steady distribution and an unerring ability to win the ball back. For him, regaining possession looks like second nature.
Former Blues star Joe Cole, who played more than 280 times for the club across seven seasons and collected seven trophies, was full of praise for the 23-year-old’s performance at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Caicedo was ‘outstanding’
Speaking on TNT Sports, he said:
‘I thought he was outstanding. Every time we watch him, we’re blown away by him. He was just pickpocketing people. Mr Calm.
‘They could not move. He was nicking it off them, he was finding passes, and he was brilliant. It was getting to the point where the Benfica midfielders were receiving the ball, and they were petrified. He was everywhere.’
The Ecuadorian performance was action-packed, particularly in the defensive phase of the game. He won the most duels of any player on the pitch (10), made the most tackles (8), won the most interceptions (2), and created the joint-most chances (2), the highest by any Chelsea player on the pitch.
He was also tidy in possession and crucial in keeping the Blues ticking, despite not being given enough chances by Benfica, completing all but one of his 61 passes in the game. He registered the most final-third entries (9) and also created two chances, the highest by any Chelsea player in the match.
Having avoided an injury scare to start the game, Maresca will be hopeful that Caicedo remains fit for the crucial clash against Liverpool on Saturday.
