Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho reflected on Qarabag FK during his pre-match press conference ahead of the crucial Real Madrid clash.

Offsideplus.az reports that the experienced Portuguese tactician linked Benfica’s current precarious position in the Champions League standings to their earlier loss against the Azerbaijani side.

"There are several factors behind our current situation," Mourinho stated. "But the most significant one remains our defeat to Qarabag in the opening round. We should have won that match. Had we secured those three points, we would be sitting on 9 points now, needing only a single point to guarantee qualification for the next round."

It is worth noting that following Benfica's shock defeat to the Horsemen, the club parted ways with former manager Bruno Lage, subsequently appointing Jose Mourinho to the helm.

The "Eagles" currently have 6 points. Even if they secure a victory against Real Madrid tonight, they will still have to wait for the results of other matches across the league phase to determine their fate.