Benfica secured their first victory of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League season, defeating Ajax 2–0 at the Estádio da Luz. Goals from Samuel Dahl and Leandro Barreiro handed the Portuguese side all three points, marking José Mourinho’s first Champions League win as Benfica manager.

Reflecting on the match, Mourinho praised his players’ performance while highlighting the challenges they faced:

“The last 10 minutes of the first half were chaotic. We lost control a bit, gave the ball away too quickly. In the second half, we really struggled to play out from the back, but in reality, they only had one real chance. Then we took complete control.”

He added:

“At the end of the match, it felt like even if Ajax had 150 players on the pitch, they still wouldn’t have scored. The players put in a tremendous effort, and celebrating a win like this afterwards was truly special.”

On the significance of an early goal and the broader tournament context, Mourinho said:

“Scoring an early goal gives you a positive boost. It’s not just about taking the lead, but also about gaining emotional momentum. From a tournament perspective, this victory breathes new life into us. Had we drawn, things would have been much tougher. I believe that if we end up with nine points, we’ll have a good chance. We need to secure two more wins.”

The win moves Benfica up to 29th place in the Champions League standings, though the side has yet to secure a knockout spot. Benfica will now turn their attention to their next group-stage match against Napoli on Wednesday, 10th December.