Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge with Benfica on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
However, he is set to face a very different Chelsea side from the one that he used to manage, which includes a player who he believes is ‘one of the best in the world.’
Incidentally, Mourinho returns to the Bridge with his former side in the midst of a poor run of form for the Blues.
The home side has lost consecutive Premier League games against Manchester United and Brighton and will be looking to get their first win of their European season against their former manager.
However, they will also have to be a lot more disciplined on the pitch, having been reduced to 10 men against both United and Brighton.
Pedro Neto was one of the players that Enzo Maresca sacrificed following the red card against United, but Mourinho has hailed him as one of the best players in the world.
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Jose Mourinho showers praise on Pedro Neto ahead of Chelsea Vs Benfica clash
Pedro Neto comes into the game against Benfica having been substituted in the last two Premier League matches, following red cards to Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah.
The consecutive early departures have tainted what has been a very strong start to the season for the Portugal international, something that has been noted by some outside of the club.
One of those is Mourinho, who was full of praise in his pre-match press conference that Neto was among the best in his position. He simply said, “One of the best wingers in the world.”
Ironically, Neto is yet to live up to the praise that Mourinho has showered on him. Having been replaced in the past couple of matches, Neto seemed to take a dig at Maresca’s tactics recently, which hampered their chances of winning against both United and Brighton.
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