“Can go far”
©IMAGO
The analyzes by José Mourinho and Kasper Hjulmand could hardly have been more different. While Bayer Leverkusen’s coach raved about his young team after the 1-0 win at Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League, Mourinho struggled with various things: the exploitation of chances, the referee and the guests’ style of play.
“They didn’t do anything to win,” claimed the 62-year-old, without wanting to blame Bayer for this. But the guests were a team “that was completely dominated” – and still won. Because, on the one hand, Benfica missed the numerous chances from Dodi Lukébakio (11th/44th minute), Vangelis Pavlidis (47th/51st minute) and Nicolás Otamendi (33rd/43rd minute). On the other hand, because substitute Patrik Schick (65th) scored the winning goal with a header after a defensive mistake.
However, after the final whistle, Hjulmand’s focus shifted to others. “We probably had the youngest team on this Champions League match day,” said the Dane, given the numerous top talents in the starting line-up. With an average age of 24.5 years, the Werkself were still behind Chelsea FC (23.3) and Club Brugge (24.4) on paper.
Hjulmand: Young Bayer Leverkusen can go far
The 19-year-old Ibrahim Maza, for example, impressed as a strong tackler in the defensive midfield. And if Bayer ever threatened the hosts in the mixed first half, it was through the lightning-fast Ernest Poku (21). “We showed that we can go far together,” praised Hjulmand.
How far remains to be seen after the first win of this Champions League season. At least the double winner from 2024 is now in a much better position than Benfica, which still has zero points after four games. But Mourinho is far from giving up. “The math tells me it’s still possible,” he said. “There are still twelve points to be awarded and you might need nine to avoid elimination.”