Mourinho told us to target ‘amazing’ Benfica keeper, says United man

Nemanja Matic has revealed how Jose Mourinho told his players to target young Benfica goalkeeper Mile Svilar in last night’s 1-0 win.

Wednesday night saw the Belgian become the youngest goalkeeper to start in a Champions League match, but it ended in embarrassment as Marcus Rashford’s free-kick caught him out – standing too far off his line and then carrying the ball into the goal as he tried to backtrack.

Romelu Lukaku and David De Gea tried to console Svilar after the final whistle, but Matic admitted the goal was part of Mourinho’s plan.

He told BT Sport: “The manager said to us to try and shoot and get some crosses towards their goalkeeper because he is young and playing in his first game.

“This is football and I know he is a great goalkeeper and I wish him well for the future.”

Matic claimed their defensive strength helped them to the victory, which puts United on the verge of qualification from Group A with nine points from nine.

Matic added: “We had control, some difficulties in the first 30 minutes but then we controlled the pitch. We used our experience. We could not find the second goal but did not make any mistakes at the back.

“We scored a goal and we had more chances. We played well in the second half and played well enough to take three points. It was hard for us but we managed to win.”

Mourinho may have been smiling inside afterwards, but he publicly defended Benfica’s teenage keeper.

“He is a phenomenon, he is amazing,” Mourinho said of the 18-year-old.

“What I really want to say is that I prefer that a goalkeeper of one of my teams suffers a goal like this one than a goalkeeper to be on the line of goal for 90 minutes.

“Only great goalkeepers suffer goals like this because they are the only ones that risk things, that they use the space they have ahead of them.

“Only great goalkeepers can save a goal like he did when he used his head to go and get the ball outside the area, so given the amazing use of space, he was unlucky – and I think he’ll never concede another goal like this.

“But it’s a goalkeeper with huge potential. Either Benfica has a top goalkeeper for many years, or the president please prepare a big suitcase because (clubs) will pay a lot of money for his kids in a few years.”

Benfica counterpart Rui Vitoria, whose side have yet to register a point in Group A, also defended Svilar.

“This is a kid that has just become old enough for a driving licence,” he said. “The potential is there, the quality is there.”