Jose Mourinho's 5 most iconic matches
Jose Mourinho recently took charge of his 1000th professional game as a manager; a testament to his longevity at the highest level of the game. The fallen angel and antithesis persona aside, Mourinho is nothing short of a serial winner, having won almost consistently in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. His decorated career has had more than its fair share of thrills, spills and heartache.
Here are Jose Mourinho’s 5 most iconic games.
#5 Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea, Premier League 2013/14
Perhaps the definitive "us versus the world" game of Jose Mourinho’s career, the 2013/14 title race was decided by a classic smash and grab by a largely second-string Chelsea side.
With Liverpool already behind title rivals Manchester City, anarchist Jose was the architect of Liverpool's implosion. Jose set up a deep defensive structure to frustrate a desperate Liverpool with the majority of the first team resting for their Champions League semi-final clash.
As the likes of Suarez and Sturridge were stifled, Anfield was silenced by Steven Gerrard's unfathomable slip that led to a Demba Ba goal largely against the run of play. Willian proceeded to score another goal right from a Liverpool corner to all but resign Anfield to their fate, as Mourinho celebrated by pointing at the Chelsea club crest.
#4 Manchester United 1-1 PORTO (2-3 on aggregate), Champions League 2003/04
The match that announced Mourinho to the world as the new maverick manager, as Jose's Porto played the plucky underdog against the mighty Manchester United led by Sir Alex Ferguson. Having won the home leg by a goal, Mourinho's iconic Porto team, with the likes of Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and Benni McCarthy pulled off a massive upset.
Manchester United stood in Porto's route to unlikely Champions League glory that season and following Paul Scholes' 32nd-minute strike in the second leg, Mourinho's team were headed for the exit on away goals.
🔵 Costinha lands the decisive blow as Mourinho's Porto knock Manchester United out of the #UCL
🐉 1⃣7⃣ years ago today! https://t.co/aJ54F5h4Av
Against all odds (and a famous goalkeeping error from Tim Howard), Porto's Costinha pulled a goal back in the 90th minute, sparking pandemonium and wild celebrations on the Old Trafford touchline. Porto would go on to win the Champions League, but it was at this exact moment that the Legend of Jose was born.