Chelsea host Benfica as Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea will host Benfica at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Sept. 30, 2025, in a Champions League group stage match that doubles as a high-profile reunion: Benfica are led by Jose Mourinho, who returns to his former London ground for the first time since 2022. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm BST. Both teams enter the fixture looking to register their first points after opening-day defeats.

Chelsea began their campaign with a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich and have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, most recently a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton in which defender Trevoh Chalobah was sent off. Manager Enzo Maresca faces mounting pressure to halt the club’s slide and steady preparations for a congested fixture list that includes domestic cups and Premier League commitments. Stamford Bridge has capacity for 40,341 spectators and Chelsea have not been beaten at home in a Champions League group stage match since 2019.

Benfica arrive still smarting from a shock 3-2 home defeat by Qarabag on matchday one. The Portuguese club sacked Bruno Lage after that result and appointed Mourinho earlier this month. Mourinho has overseen two wins and a draw in his domestic outings so...