Chelsea vs. Benfica: Enzo Maresca looking to extend startling unwanted streak for Jose Mourinho's side in Champions League game

Chelsea will be attempting to extend a surprising Benfica statistic when they meet in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Plenty of focus is being placed on the showdown at Stamford Bridge as Jose Mourinho makes just his eighth return to the ground since his first of two departures in September 2007.

Enzo Maresca is seemingly under no pressure from the Blues' powers-that-be, yet the Italian understands that he needs to bring to an end a run of just one win from five games in all competitions.

Both clubs suffered defeats on matchday one in this competition, Chelsea succumbing to Bayern Munich and Benfica letting slip a two-goal lead to lose at home to Qarabag FK.

Ahead of this contest, Chelsea have the opportunity to extend a streak held by Benfica that started all the way back in 2009.

What Benfica streak do Chelsea want to extend?

In November of that year, Benfica recorded a 2-0 victory over Everton in the Europa League, and they have played 18 games against English opposition since then.

However, the Portuguese giants have not kept a single clean sheet during that period, while eight games have also passed since they last overcame a Premier League club in a competitive fixture.

Their most recent triumph over such a team came in the 2013-14 Europa League when they prevailed 3-1 over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Furthermore, Chelsea have won all four of their games with Benfica, those contests coming in the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup.

Quirkily, this is the first-ever time that Chelsea and Benfica have ever met in the group or league phase of a competition.

That all said, Benfica can only be encouraged by Chelsea being on their longest-ever losing streak in the Champions League, that standing at three matches after games with Real Madrid (twice) and Bayern.

When did Chelsea last play Portuguese opposition other than Benfica?

Over the years, Chelsea have played as many as 16 competitive fixtures against Portuguese clubs, but the last time that they faced any team other than Benfica was in 2020-21.

That would be a two-legged fixture against Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals, both games taking place in Seville due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Chelsea emerged victorious by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline, netting twice in the first leg before holding on during the latter stages of the reverse fixture and accepting a 1-0 defeat.

A Portuguese team has not played at Stamford Bridge since Chelsea beat Porto - again 2-0 - in a concluding group game in December 2015.