The result has left Benfica in 35th position on the overall Champions League league phase standings, just one spot above bottom-placed Ajax. However, they are just four points behind 24th-placed Napoli, with Mourinho confident his team can book a place in the top 24 to ensure they reach the play-offs.

“I’m more optimistic than that. Nobody will convince me that we’re out,” Mourinho asserted at the post-match press conference. “The math is very objective; there are 12 points left to play for, and we need around nine. The math says it’s possible, but not only that. This game convinces me that we can win the games we need to. It was a very strong and convincing game. I have a different view from you and perhaps from the fans because I have to see it from all perspectives. The result is the most obvious, and we lost. But I have to see the quality of our attacks, our defence, our build-up play from the back, and the many opportunities we created. Under normal circumstances, we would have scored a goal and won; there wouldn’t have been much of a story. The team is growing and playing better and better.

“I’ve already told you that nobody can convince me that we won’t qualify. I can’t say right now that we’ll qualify because that would be selling snake oil, and I won’t do that. But there are 12 points to play for, and the way the team is playing and fighting convinces me. We have two games until the end of the calendar year, and if we win both, we’re completely in contention to go through. The Champions League is the highest level of European football. 

“Today, we faced a team that didn’t create or risk anything and had the referee’s leniency. But it’s a very high-level team. With three multi-million dollar centre-backs and a lot of quality. Midway through the second half, the opponent brought on Schick, who has impressive physical capabilities. Only against Newcastle did I feel we wouldn’t make it; against Chelsea we didn’t feel that way, and today it was glaringly obvious. So, we have to be optimistic and do everything we did well today. Which was everything except winning.”