Benfica’s latest league outing perfectly captured the strange brilliance and frustration of José Mourinho’s domestic campaign. Benfica surged into a commanding two-goal lead away to Famalicão, appearing set to preserve their unbeaten record while keeping faint title hopes alive. But soon after Nicolas Otamendi got sent off, and his dismissal shifted the momentum, leading to Benfica’s control evaporating.
Famalicão rallied to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw, exposing the recurring flaw that has haunted Mourinho’s side all season, which is too many draws in matches they should have closed out. Their dropped points, combined with Porto’s victory elsewhere, officially meant that they lost the 2025/26 Primeira Liga title. Benfica remained undefeated, yet they still finished behind their rivals because they chose caution instead of ruthlessness.
How Mourinho rebuilt Benfica in his own image
This Benfica side has resembled classic Mourinho teams in one crucial respect: defensive structure. Their organisation, discipline, and ability to suppress opponents have drawn comparisons to the Portuguese manager’s legendary Chelsea team of 2004/05, which conceded just 15 Premier League goals. Benfica 2025/26 has similar traits, especially in their compactness in defense, how they control transitions, and an almost obsessive refusal to lose.
Rather than trying to outplay opponents, Mourinho has, over the course of his career and over the course of this season, prioritised security. Benfica became one of Europe’s hardest teams to beat, often grinding out narrow wins or preserving draws through elite defensive game management. It was vintage Mourinho.
Why they lost the League
They lost it because they chose to be invincible without looking to punish their opponents. This meant that Benfica drew too often. This refusal to lose often meant that they could not capitalise on opportunities to end games, especially against lower-ranked teams. Porto, by contrast, converted more matches into victories and maintained the points pace required to stay clear.
This is what makes Benfica’s season so historically unusual. They could finish an entire Primeira Liga campaign unbeaten and still not be champions, which is a rare feat that speaks both to Mourinho’s tactical mastery and his teams’ failures to consistently turn control into dominance. The 2025/26 Benfica campaign may become one of Mourinho’s strangest achievements, which would also add to his legend as one of football’s greatest characters.