Chelsea took advantage of Richard Ríos’ unfortunate night, defeated Benfica 1-0 at home, and earned their first points in the Champions League group stage. The former Palmeiras player scored an own goal, missed a great opportunity, and left the field in the second half.
The result left the English team with 3 points, placing them in the middle of the tournament table in the second round. Meanwhile, the Portuguese team, managed by José Mourinho, remains with zero points
Both teams will return to Champions League action at the end of October. Chelsea will host Ajax on the 22nd, while Benfica will face Newcastle in England the day before.
The match at Stamford Bridge started with excitement and a scare caused by the visitors. Lukébakio received the ball at the edge of the box, adjusted his body, and struck a powerful shot towards Sánchez’s goal, with the ball just grazing the English team’s post.
Former Palmeiras player Richard Ríos made the headlines at 17 minutes with an own goal. Trying to intercept a pass from Garnacho inside the penalty area, the midfielder ended up kicking the ball backwards, hitting the back of his own team’s net, making it 1-0.
The Colombian’s situation worsened early in the second half as he received a yellow card for a challenge on Buonanotte. Minutes later, he missed a shot from inside the box after a rebound from the opposing defense. Ríos’ performance in the match ended at the 30th minute when José Mourinho decided to replace the number 20.
In the later stages, Estêvão was brought on by Enzo Maresca, injecting new energy into the English team, but he failed to make a significant impact. Despite the Brazilian showing glimpses of promise, shifting between midfield and the right flank, Chelsea sealed the match with a narrow victory. The closing moments saw João Pedro being sent off for a reckless challenge.
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