Will Power

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Mourinho's Past Encounters With Former Club Chelsea


Jose Mourinho takes his Manchester United side to former club Chelsea on Super Sunday hoping to put some extra distance between the two clubs and apply the pressure on league leaders Manchester City.

Sunday will be the sixth time the Portuguese has taken on his former club in competitive action, having faced them twice as Inter Milan boss before going head-to-head with the Blues three times last season in his first campaign as United manager.

And with the chance to move seven points clear of the team he managed over two spells between 2004-2007 and 2013-2015, we take a look at his previous encounters with the west Londoners.

February 24, 2010: Inter 2-1 Chelsea
Mourinho enjoyed a winning start against Chelsea following his first stint at the club when his Inter Milan side hosted the Blues in the Champions League in February 2010.


Diego Milito put the Italians ahead after just three minutes when he beat Petr Cech at his near post and after Didier Drogba hit the bar from 25 yards, Salomon Kalou brought Chelsea level five minutes after the break.

But parity lasted just three minutes as Wesley Sneijder's cross fell to Esteban Cambiasso and he scored at the second attempt to give Mourinho's side a one-goal lead to protect in the return leg.

Mourinho said: "Mourinho does not lose at Stamford Bridge. We can go there with a legitimate ambition to go through,"

March 16, 2010: Chelsea 0-1 Inter
Mourinho was confident of getting the result required at Stamford Bridge and his players did not let him down - Samuel Eto's clinical strike on 79 minutes settling a scrappy encounter and sealing a spot in the last eight.

An ill-tempered evening, in which the 'Special One' was targeted for abuse by the home fans, ended with Didier Drogba sent off in the closing minutes after a penalty area clash with Thiago Motta.

While his backroom staff celebrated wildly, Mourinho cut a more restrained figure, but he would go on to win the treble that season, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final before resigning to take over at Real Madrid.

Mourinho said: "We deserve this victory, this must be almost a perfect performance. Chelsea had reactions of frustration, of a team that felt the opposition was stronger. They tried to get back with conflict, long balls and diving in the box but I think everything we did was superior."

October 23, 2016: Chelsea 4-0 Man Utd
The first of three meetings between the two clubs last season saw Mourinho humiliated at Stamford Bridge as the eventual champions routed his new side.

After a warm welcome from the home fans, it took just 30 seconds for the players to spoil his return to west London as Pedro pounced on a defensive mix-up to score, before Gary Cahill volleyed home on 21 minutes.

Chelsea then sat back after the break and hit United on the break, Eden Hazard weaving into the area to add a third on 62 minutes with N'Golo Kante wrapping up the win on 70 minutes.

Mourinho's frustrations were evident at the final whistle as he remonstrated with Conte about his behaviour on the touchline, feeling the Italian had "humiliated" him and his team.

Mourinho said: "You come with a strategy, you cannot concede a goal the way we did in the first minute and after that, that changes the game completely."

March 13, 2017: FA Cup Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd
United returned to Stamford Bridge in March bidding to book their place in the FA Cup semi-final, but again Mourinho left the capital disappointed, with N'Golo Kante on target in a 1-0 win that saw United finish the game with 10 men.

Ander Herrera was the man to see red after two late first-half tackles on Eden Hazard; indicative of a feisty affair in which Mourinho and Antonio Conte had to be separated by the fourth official following a robust Antonio Valencia challenge on Marcos Alonso.

Chelsea took the lead six minutes after the break through Kante, who rifled home from 20 yards, with Marcus Rashford denied by the feet of Thibaut Courtois in United's best chance.

Mourinho said: "I don't speak [about the red card]. I just want to say that I'm really proud of my players and Manchester United fans."

April 16, 2017: Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea
Mourinho finally enjoyed some success over his former club as United boss when the Blues visited Old Trafford in April.

United were without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Marcus Rashford's early strike and a deflected Ander Herrera effort proved the difference between the teams as Chelsea suffered a setback in their ultimately successful title bid.

The result stretched United's unbeaten run in the Premier League to 22 games and moved them to within four points of Manchester City in fourth, although they would not catch them and needed Europa League glory to seal their place in this season's Champions League.

Mourinho said: "We were tactically very good and the players did an amazing job, controlling a team full of fantastic players."

Credit: Sksyports.com

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