Three consecutive losses! Mourinho’s elimination is inevitable, and the four-time Champions League winner ranks at the bottom

This week, the UEFA Champions League stage has completed all the third round matches, with only 5 teams remaining to maintain a complete victory, and a total of 8 teams are undefeated. Starting from Juventus in 25th place, all subsequent teams have a hard time winning and are just in the elimination zone. Two teams have lost three consecutive games, namely Benfica, a two-time champion led by Mourinho, and Ajax, a four-time champion at the bottom.

Ajax lost to Inter Milan 0-2 in the first round. The second round was even worse. They suffered a four-goal away defeat to Marseille, which had just won the Ligue 1 leader. Unexpectedly, the worse was yet to come. In the third round, they challenged Chelsea away from home and also suffered a big defeat, losing 1-5 to Chelsea. In the three games, Ajax only scored one penalty kick from Weghorst and conceded a total of 11 goals. Their offense was weak and their defense was unstable, ranking them at the bottom.

The last time Ajax conceded five goals in a single away game in the Champions League was 45 years ago, when their opponent was Bayern Munich. In the Eredivisie, Ajax is also unsatisfactory, with 4 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss in 9 games, ranking only in fourth place. It is already as many as 9 points behind Feyenoord, the leader, and an average of 1 point behind. The calls for Heitinga to leave are growing day by day. I wonder if Ten Hag, an old acquaintance, will return to his old club like Mourinho.

Another team that has lost three consecutive games is Benfica. In the first round, they faced Qarabach, who was participating in the Champions League for the second time. With a two-goal lead, the opponent chased back three goals and lost. Lage dismissed get out of class sadly, and Mourinho quickly took over. However, Mourinho did not bring much improvement. Both games had to go to familiar England to challenge Chelsea and Newcastle respectively. They both returned with defeats and had no choice but to accept the results of three zero points.

In the Portuguese Super League, Benfica cannot maintain its strength. After Mourinho took over, they had 2 wins and 2 draws. Although there are some objective factors, it cannot be said to be really good. They are already 4 points behind Porto, which has 7 wins and 1 draw at the top of the list. Costa, who once watched the "Fireworks Show" with Materazzi, said during the decision to change coaches that Benfica needs a coach with championship temperament. I wonder if Mourinho can bring a championship title when he returns to his old club where he was in the early days of coaching?

The Portuguese Super League is not too far behind, and there are still opportunities. However, in the Champions League, Mourinho's team is already on the verge of elimination. Last season, Club Brugge, ranked 24th in the Champions League, had 11 points, and Fenerbahce, ranked 24th in the Europa League, had 10 points. More importantly, all teams that had lost 4 games in the Champions League were eliminated and could not even qualify for the play-offs.

Therefore, if Benfica and Ajax, who have lost three consecutive games, lose one more game in the next five games, they will basically say goodbye to the Champions League. If you want to squeeze into the top 24 and get the right to qualify, 11 points may be the minimum requirement. In other words, the two teams must at least achieve 3 wins and 2 draws. Undefeated may be the only option.

Just, look at the opponents of the two teams, Benfica will face Leverkusen, Ajax, Naples, Juventus and Real Madrid, and Ajax will face Galatasaray, Benfica, Karabakh, Villarreal and Olympiakos. Judging from the strength of their opponents, Ajax seems to have an easier time, and winning 4 games may not be impossible. Interestingly, the two teams will meet next month, and by then, the losing side may have to leave early.

Benfica is one of the teams with the worst luck in the Champions League. Most of its eight opponents come from the five major leagues. The first round was the easiest, but they unexpectedly lost. Facing Newcastle, who had not yet come out of trouble, they lost by three goals. It can be said that Benfica has lost all its advantages. If it wants to stay, it can only compete with every next giant. In the Club World Cup a few months ago, Benfica defeated Bayern Munich and won the first place in the group. The chance may still be there, but it is really small.

Historically, Benfica has won two Champions League titles. After winning two consecutive years in the 1960s, Benfica had to leave the team as coach Bella Gutman, leaving behind the famous "curse." Subsequently, Benfica reached the Champions League finals five times, all of which ended in defeat. Unexpectedly, an angry statement made more than 60 years ago is still in effect today. It is really amazing.

Ajax also had its glorious moments. In the 1970s, it won the championship for three consecutive years. After Real Madrid, the second team can permanently retain the championship trophy. In the 1990s, they won another victory and won the championship four times, second only to Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Barcelona.

What’s interesting is that after Ajax won three consecutive championships, Bayern Munich won three consecutive championships and could also keep the trophy permanently. Therefore, this trophy is very special. There are only three championship teams engraved on it, all belonging to the same name. It is truly unprecedented and unprecedented. More than 10 years ago, after the requirement to permanently retain the trophy was abolished, a total of 5 teams were able to receive this honor. In addition to the above three teams, guess who the other two teams are?