Enzo Maresca took a surprisingly positive stance after watching his Chelsea side collect yet another red card against Benfica on Tuesday night, joking that it’s “a good thing” they were finally able to win a match after being reduced to 10.
João Pedro was dismissed in stoppage time of a scratchy 1–0 Champions League win over José Mourinho’s visitors after collecting a second yellow card. The Brazilian was booked for a foul within seconds of his second-half introduction before getting penalised for a high boot with the match already won.
That dismissal represented Chelsea’s third red card in four games, the same tally they amassed over the previous 49 matches.
“A good thing is we are improving and we can win with 10 players,” Maresca fired back when faced with these unflattering statistics.
