AVES, Portugal: Jose Mourinho began his second spell in charge of Benfica with a comfortable 3-0 win at AVS on Saturday.
Heorhiy Sudakov opened the scoring at the end of the first half for the visitors, with Vangelis Pavlidis netting the second from the penalty spot before the hour mark.
Franjo Ivanovic rounded off the rout for Benfica, who moved second in the table, five points behind leaders Porto having played one fewer match.
The veteran Portuguese coach, back at the helm of the Eagles 25 years on, celebrated the third goal furiously, pumping his first and kicking a cone.
The 62-year-old, who also coached Porto in the Portuguese top flight before leaving in 2004 to join Chelsea, will face both those teams within the next 15 days.
Mourinho, who won trophies with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan as well as coaching various other sides, was sacked by Fenerbahce in August.
Benfica ousted coach Bruno Lage this week after a surprise defeat in the Champions League by Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag and appointed Mourinho as his replacement on Thursday.
His first spell at the club lasted just 11 games but Mourinho said on his presentation that he was more “mature” and “altruistic” now.
Mourinho celebrates Benfica return with convincing win
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Mourinho celebrates Benfica return with convincing win
- Mourinho, who won trophies with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan as well as coaching various other sides
Two own goals save Arsenal blushes against Wolves
LONDON: Arsenal avoided a major embarrassment against Premier League bottom club Wolves on Saturday, benefiting from two own goals — one in stoppage time — to win 2-1 and move five points clear of Manchester City.
Manager Mikel Arteta admitted that his team had struggled to create clear chances and that the win should have been much more comfortable.
But he said that the manner of the victory would give the team a major boost.
“That gives you belief that regardless of how the game goes, you can always find a solution to win it,” he told TNT Sports.
“But now we’re going to have a clean week. We need to start to train certain aspects slowly, because if you don’t train them, you start to deteriorate a little bit.”
Arteta’s men were blunt in the first half, failing to muster a single shot on target as Gabriel Martinelli wasted a clutch of chances.
The Arsenal boss made three changes shortly before the hour mark, bringing on Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino for Martinelli, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners mounted wave after wave of attacks, and Declan Rice’s shot midway through the second half — their first on target — was well saved by Sam Johnstone.
But in the 70th minute the sheer weight of pressure told to the enormous relief of an impatient and nervy Emirates crowd.
Johnstone flicked Bukayo Saka’s corner onto a post as he scrambled to reach the ball but it rebounded back onto his arm and into the net for an own goal.
Gabriel Jesus came on for Viktor Gyokores for his first home match after 11 months out injured.
Astonishingly, Wolves pulled level in the 90th minute, when Mateus Mane’s flat cross was headed in by Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare.
But just as the Arsenal fans contemplated a damaging draw, the Gunners benefited from a second own goal.
Saka delivered a perfect cross which Jesus attacked but the ball was diverted into his own net by Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera.
Winless Wolves, with a ninth league defeat in a row, have mustered just two points from their 16 games so far and are on course for the worst season in Premier League history.
Pep Guardiola’s City travel to in-form Crystal Palace on Sunday seeking to close the gap to Arsenal, who have not won the Premier League since 2004.
