Mourinho’s side remain the only unbeaten team in the Primeira Liga after Benfica fought back from two goals down to draw 2–2 with leaders FC Porto at the Estadio da Luz.
The result preserved their invincible run but also highlighted the paradox of their season, as they sit third in the table, seven points behind with nine games left.
There is now a real possibility that Mourinho could finish the campaign unbeaten and still miss out on the league title or even fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The match, high in both tension and technical quality, saw Francesco Farioli’s Porto side race into a 2–0 lead before halftime through strikes from Victor Froholdt and Oskar Pietuszewski.
Benfica, appearing to face their first domestic defeat of the season, rallied in the second half with goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Leandro Barreiro to salvage a draw.
The intensity of the rivalry was further underscored by late red cards for both Benfica manager José Mourinho and veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi.
While the result preserves Benfica’s undefeated record after 25 matches, it does little to aid their pursuit of a 39th league title. Porto remains firmly in control at the top of the table with 66 points, followed by Sporting CP in second with 62 points.
Benfica’s current position of third with 59 points is the result of eight draws, the highest among the top three, which has allowed their rivals to pull ahead despite suffering losses earlier in the season.
Historical precedents suggest that an unbeaten season is no guarantee of silverware in Portuguese football; Benfica themselves famously finished as runners-up to Porto in the 1977-78 season despite not losing a single match.
As the season enters its final stretch, the ‘Special One’ faces the unique challenge of potentially leading a team to an undefeated campaign that results in a third-place finish and a spot in the Europa League qualifying rounds rather than the league trophy.
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