Yesterday was a night of redemption and delight at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea sealed their first UEFA Champions League win of the season, a narrow but significant 1-0 victory over Benfica. Under the bright lights of Europe’s biggest stage, Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho played a starring role, setting up the decisive goal that earned the Blues three vital points.
The atmosphere inside the Bridge was electric; it had been two and a half years since Chelsea last hosted a Champions League clash, and the supporters were eager for a winning return. Garnacho, who joined from Manchester United in the summer, looked full of energy and purpose on the left flank. His pressing, pace, and confidence in one-on-one situations gave Chelsea an edge throughout the match.
Speaking after in an interview uploaded on the club’s official website, Garnacho couldn’t hide his excitement over contributing to such an important night. The young winger described it as a dream come true to help his new club get back on track after losing their opening fixture away to Bayern Munich. He said the win meant a lot, especially because every player dreams of magical Champions League nights under the floodlights.
Garnacho said:
I think it was a really big three points and we needed that after losing the first game, so I’m really happy. When we are young, we dream of Champions League nights. We are here now, so I am very happy to be at Chelsea, to play in this competition and to get the three points.
The only goal came midway through the second half when Pedro Neto’s dangerous cross from the right was kept alive by Garnacho, whose drilled effort forced Benfica defender Richard Rios into an own goal. It might not have been Garnacho’s name on the scoresheet, but his effort and positioning made the difference — something the Argentine later admitted they had worked on in training.
Explaining his approach, Garnacho noted that his role was simple, and he knew exactly what Enzo Maresca was asking of him.
He Said:
I am always ready for when I have to play, off the bench or from the start. The manager asked me to work and then to go one-v-one, that was the work I had to do.
We always work on these movements. When, in this case, Pedro Neto crosses, I always have to be there [at the back post] and then things like this can happen. This time it’s an own goal, but it’s still a goal and so it’s good.
Chelsea’s joy was slightly dampened late on as Joao Pedro received a second yellow card, reducing the Blues to 10 men. It marked the team’s third red card in recent weeks — an issue Garnacho acknowledged as a concern. However, he quickly shifted focus to their next test, a Premier League clash against Liverpool at home.
He admitted that red cards had been unlucky at times but insisted the team must improve their discipline. Still, Garnacho was upbeat, stressing that the win would give the squad momentum ahead of facing Arne Slots’s men.
