Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Thursday, January 15, 2026, 09:55 / Updated Thursday, January 15, 2026 09:59
Jose Mourinho (62 years old), Benfica's coach, is going through a difficult period on the Lusitanian bench. Wednesday night saw a Portuguese Cup quarter-final defeat 1-0 against Porto, just a week after being knocked out by Braga in the League Cup 1-3.
At the end of the game, the Portuguese coach spoke about the team's performance, considering that his team was better and deserved to qualify for the semifinals of the competition.
Jose Mourinho: “The better team lost”
Benfica suffered a setback in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup on Wednesday night, 0-1 against Porto. The result at the Estadio do Dragao comes just a week after another relegation suffered by Mourinho's side. Benfica lost at home, 1-3, against Braga, in the semifinals of the League Cup.
At the end of the game in Porto, the Portuguese coach raged about how his team lost the duel. Despite the fact that Benfica dominated the whole match, the victory belonged to the hosts thanks to a goal scored from a set-piece, something that disappointed the coach. He stated that the team coached by him deserved the victory.
“The justifications are obvious. The better team lost. The better team didn't score and concede a goal, that's it. We controlled the game at will against a team with a lot of intensity, a team of athletes, people who run a lot and press a lot. Benfica dominated the game from start to finish. We got a goal from set time where, due to absences, the players who were outside the area and on individual marking were Dahl, Barreiro and Dedic.
Jose Mourinho during the match between Porto and Benfica / Imago Images
We worked a lot the last two days on defensive set-piece situations. We knew we didn't have Otamendi, Enzo… It would have been a risk to have Enzo play. We controlled the game, without many scoring opportunities, but with a dominance that seemed clear to me. Against a team that is in a moment of high confidence, where fans accept, thanks to excellent timing, that their team will sit in their own half for 45 minutes defending at home.
The goal we missed in the last minute speaks volumes. If last game I was angry, today I am angry for the players. I am committed to bringing titles to Benfica in a difficult situation… Are the fans with me? Why are you asking me this question? I am not important, Benfica is important“, said Jose Mourinho, at the end of the match between Porto and Benfica, according to abola.pt.
Following last night's result, the first 3 teams that will play in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup have been determined.
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Porto (First League)
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Torreense (second division)
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Fefe (Third League)
The last team qualified for the semifinals will be the winner of the duel between Sporting Lisbon and AFS.
Things are not too good for Benfica in the championship either. The team is in third place, 10 points behind leaders Porto, with title hopes dwindling for the team that last won the championship in 2023.
Portugal standings, Benfica in third place / flashscore
