Benfica manager, Jose Mourinho, has claimed that five of his players are suffering a “self-esteem crisis” ahead of a crunch clash with Porto.
According to Mourinho, this is why he adopted a pragmatic mindset against his former team.
The game between the two Portuguese giants ended in a 0-0 draw.
The result leaves Benfica four points behind Porto, who are the currently topping the table.
Mourinho told reporters of his approach: “I think Benfica has its characteristics. FC Porto has players with a lot of horsepower, with the ability to attack space. We don’t have that type of player.
“We had to create danger and not let the game go.
“Right now, the team is suffering from low confidence. I found three, four, five players with a self-esteem crisis.”