Champions League football under the lights, creating the decisive goal for your new club...it is the stuff of dreams for players like Alejandro Garnacho.

The Blues got off the mark in Europe this season at Stamford Bridge, bouncing back from an away loss at Bayern Munich in our opening fixture by defeating the Portuguese giants, coached by Jose Mourinho, by a single goal on Tuesday evening.

There was a buzz in the air as Champions League nights returned to the Bridge after a two-and-a-half-year absence, and our Argentinian winger was all smiles after the final whistle, with an important win secured.

‘I think it was a really big three points and we needed that after losing the first game, so I’m really happy,’ said Garnacho.

‘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 today.’

The victory over Benfica was Garnacho’s second start for the Blues since joining from Manchester United, the other being the League Cup third-round win at Lincoln City. He featured on the left wing again for Enzo Maresca, this time with Pedro Neto on the opposite flank.

It was those two who combined for the game’s only goal. Neto’s angled cross was met by Garnacho at the back post and, when he kept the danger alive by drilling the ball across the six-yard box, Benfica’s Richard Rios could only turn it into his own net as he attempted to clear.


‘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,’ added Garnacho.

‘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.’

The only downside on an otherwise strong night for the Blues in the Champions League was the late red card for Joao Pedro, who received his second booking for a high foot.

With that being our third sending off in recent weeks, Garnacho insists it is an area the players know they need to improve, but was keen to emphasise the importance of getting back to winning ways ahead of our next big game at the Bridge against Liverpool on Saturday.

‘I think we also had a little bit, not bad luck, but with the red cards the games changed,’ the 21-year-old continued. ‘It depends on the game, sometimes it can be unlucky, sometimes a bad tackle.

‘But we said the same every game, we have to try to play with 11 players because today in football the games change a lot with one less player, but I think it’s an important win,

'We also have Liverpool on Saturday at home and we will try to win, too. We know they are a hard team, but we have to do our best to beat them.’