Previous Mourinho clash a turning point for Leverkusen, says Rolfes

Bayer Leverkusen’s previous meeting with Jose Mourinho represented a turning point for the Bundesliga giants, according to the German club’s managing director of sport, Simon Rolfes.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side are seeking their first victory in this season’s Champions League when they travel to Estadio da Luz to face Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday.

Leverkusen are meeting Mourinho for the first time since the 2022-23 Europa League semi-finals, when the Portuguese coach guided Roma to a 1-0 aggregate victory.

Nevertheless, Xabi Alonso’s side responded to that setback in emphatic fashion the following season, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal before suffering their only defeat of the campaign in the Europa League final, going down to an Ademola Lookman-inspired Atalanta.

And Rolfes remembers the “incredible incentive” that defeat by Roma gave Leverkusen.

Ready to fight tomorrow.#SLBB04 #aCROSSeurope pic.twitter.com/38P4EH1eJS

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) November 4, 2025

“Mourinho has a special style of play. He’s a coach we know very well,” he said.

“That [2023 Europa League semi-final] was a defeat and a disappointment which we drew a huge amount of energy from.

“It was an incredible incentive for the successful season that followed. Sometimes, it takes moments like that to achieve something big. The emotions there helped us a lot later on.”

Benfica, meanwhile, are looking to register their first point of this season’s Champions League, having lost all three of their matches.

“It’s important to understand in this match that both teams are here to win,” Hjulmand said.

“There will be no holding back and there will be a lot of energy. Both need the win.”