Benfica's Season in Crisis: Can Mourinho Save the Primeira Liga Title?

SL Benfica's season has collapsed into crisis, with the Lisbon giants now facing a stark reality: their trophy cabinet for 2024-2025 may end with only the Supertaça to show for their ambitions. Following their Champions League playoff elimination at the hands of Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, the club finds itself navigating treacherous waters that could define José Mourinho's tenure—and the future of president Rui Costa's leadership.

Why This Matters

• Financial Impact: Champions League elimination costs Benfica an estimated €10M-15M in prize money and broadcast revenue—critical funding for a club that operates with significant wage bills.

• League Title Now Remote: Benfica trails leaders FC Porto by 7 points and Sporting CP by 3 points with 23 matches played, leaving the title race increasingly difficult to overcome.

• Mourinho's Gamble Under Fire: The Portuguese manager's conservative substitution strategy during the Madrid tie has sparked intense debate about whether his remote pitch-side absence (due to suspension) compromised tactical flexibility.

A Season Unraveling in Real Time

Just weeks ago, Benfica was competing across four fronts. Now, the landscape is starkly different. The club exited the Taça da Liga in the semi-finals against Sporting de Braga, fell in the Taça de Portugal quarter-finals to FC Porto, and most painfully, bowed out of the UEFA Champions League playoffs despite a spirited performance against one of Europe's elite sides.

The elimination at the Santiago Bernabéu encapsulates both the promise and frustration of Benfica's campaign. The Portuguese side delivered what many observers considered a disciplined, competitive showing, only to fall short when it mattered most. A crucial save by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois denied what could have been a game-changing goal, leaving Benfica to rue missed opportunities and the fine margins that separate progress from elimination.

Former Portugal youth international Carlitos Cunha, who played for both Benfica and Real Madrid during his career, offered measured perspective on the tie. "Benfica faced one of the world's best teams. The controversy was overblown—they managed the situation well," he noted. "With a bit more luck, they could have come away with a different result. Courtois made that incredible save, and it could have changed everything."

The Substitution Controversy: Hindsight or Genuine Misstep?

The most contentious aspect of Benfica's elimination centers on José Mourinho's tactical choices during the decisive moments at the Bernabéu. With the manager serving a touchline ban and watching from the stands, assistant João Tralhão executed instructions that many critics deemed overly cautious.

After Vinícius Júnior scored for Real Madrid—a goal that shifted the elimination calculus dramatically—Benfica needed goals to mount a comeback. Mourinho's response involved three substitutions: Enzo Barrenechea, Franjo Ivanovic, and Sidny Cabral. Left on the bench were attacking options including Sudakov, Dodi Lukebakio, and Anísio Cabral—players with the profile to provide offensive firepower.

"It's very complicated," Cunha explained when asked about the decision-making process. "Mourinho wasn't physically present on the bench, though he was certainly in constant contact with his assistants. Each manager has their own philosophy for how a match should unfold."

The former winger acknowledged the widespread sentiment that Mourinho could have been more aggressive. "Many people rightly say he could have risked more—he had nothing to lose, could have thrown everything forward. But Benfica was playing well during the match, and he felt the team was functioning properly within his system," Cunha said. "It's easy now to say he should have gambled more, should have added more attacking solutions. But in the moment, he believed in his approach."

What This Means for Benfica Supporters

The immediate consequence is brutally simple: Benfica now has only the Primeira Liga to salvage their season. With FC Porto establishing themselves as the frontrunners and Sporting CP also ahead in the title race, Benfica faces a mathematical and psychological mountain to climb.

The club sits 3rd in the Portuguese league table with 55 points from 23 matches—7 points behind Porto and 3 behind Sporting. While technically still in contention, the gap requires not only flawless performances from Benfica but simultaneous faltering from both rivals. "I still believe, because in football two matches can change everything," Cunha insisted. "You can go from 7 points behind to 2 points in a flash. Football is a box of surprises."

But his optimism comes with stark qualification: "If Benfica wins little or nothing, it's always a failure. This is a club that builds its squad to win titles, with players worth their weight in gold. They must win something. Right now, with this considerable distance in the league and the teams ahead playing so well, if they win nothing, it's clearly a failed season."

Mourinho's Benfica Experiment at a Crossroads

José Mourinho returned to Portuguese football with Benfica amid enormous expectations. His appointment was meant to restore domestic dominance and provide European credibility to a club that has struggled to recapture past glories. Instead, he finds himself managing a team in crisis, with supporters questioning both his tactical approach and the wisdom of Rui Costa's expensive squad investments.

The coming weeks will test whether Mourinho can marshal his squad for an unlikely title charge or whether the season will conclude as another chapter in Benfica's recent history of unfulfilled potential. With the Champions League revenue now lost and domestic cups already gone, the pressure intensifies with each passing match week.

For Benfica supporters across Portugal, the focus now narrows to the remaining league fixtures. The club that in January harbored quadruple dreams now faces a fight for the only remaining trophy. Whether faith in Mourinho's process prevails depends entirely on what happens in the matches ahead—and whether Porto and Sporting stumble when it matters most.

"The league distance is considerable, but as I said, football changes rapidly," Cunha concluded. "Everything can happen. They must keep believing. But yes, it's difficult—very difficult."