Benfica Strolls Brightly, Securing an Encounter with Jose Mourinho in the Playoff Phase

Champion Eagles claim easy win against Nice, securing identical results from the first match and advancing to Champions League playoffs. Awaiting them in the next round is Fenerbahce, helmed by manager José Mourinho, the final challenge prior to the individual league stage of the tournament.

, and ASMedia

2025 August 29 . 5:40 AM

2 min read

Benfica advance to meet Jose Mourinho in the playoff, triumphantly striding through competition... — Benfica advance to meet Jose Mourinho in the playoff, triumphantly striding through competition along the way

Benfica Strolls Brightly, Securing an Encounter with Jose Mourinho in the Playoff Phase

Benfica and Fenerbahçe Play Out a 0-0 Draw in Champions League Playoff First Leg

The first leg of the Champions League playoff between Benfica and Fenerbahçe ended in a tense 0-0 draw in Istanbul on August 20, 2025. Despite playing the final 20 minutes with ten men following a red card for Florentino, Benfica held on, with Fenerbahçe managed by José Mourinho missing several chances to break the deadlock.

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin was the star of the match, making key saves to deny Youssef En-Nesyri and Jayden Oosterwolde. En-Nesyri had a late goal disallowed for offside.

The match was played in a pressure-cooker atmosphere, with both sides aiming to secure a place in the Champions League group stage. Benfica enter the second leg in Lisbon with a slight advantage, while Fenerbahçe are targeting their first Champions League group phase since 2008/09.

Key Match Details:

Date: August 20, 2025
Location: Istanbul (Fenerbahçe home)
Result: Fenerbahçe 0 - 0 Benfica
Red Card: Florentino (Benfica) sent off late in the match
Notable Players: Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica goalkeeper), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahçe)
Goal Disallowed: En-Nesyri's late header for offside
Managers: José Mourinho (Fenerbahçe)

Lineups (First Leg):

Fenerbahçe: Key player mentioned is Youssef En-Nesyri; goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat made several saves.
Benfica: Florentino (sent off), goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin notable for saves.

In their previous encounter, Benfica defeated Nice 2-0 in the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, with Franjo Ivanovic and Florentino Luís scoring the goals. The second leg between Benfica and Nice will take place at the Estádio da Luz on August 26 or 27.

Meanwhile, Benfica will face Tondela at home on August 24, counting for the I Liga, and Tomás Araújo, another Benfica player, is close to returning to the coach's choices after recovering from an injury. If Benfica advances, they will face the winner of Fenerbahçe-Feyenoord in the Champions League playoff. Fenerbahçe features Nélson Semedo and Anderson Talisca.

Historical Context:

Benfica are Portuguese giants with recent consistent Champions League presence, reaching the last 16 last season and competing in the Club World Cup this summer.
Fenerbahçe, under Mourinho, are striving to return to the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2008/09 season.
Both clubs share José Mourinho as a connection — he manages Fenerbahçe but started his managerial career at Benfica.

The referee for the second leg between Benfica and Nice is Italian referee Marco Guida. Anis Hadj Moussa, a potential transfer target for Benfica, renewed his contract with the Dutch club Feyenoord.