The overly warm welcome for ex-boss Jose Mourinho aside, Chelsea fans would’ve been pleased to get three points on the board with a narrow 1-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday night. That is despite Joao Pedro, who entered the fray with a mere half hour left of regulation time, receiving a red card for two bookable offences; how many matches the Brazilian will not miss as a result has been revealed.
An own goal from the sought-after Richard Rios, who lashed in Alejandro Garnacho’s driven cross in the 18th minute, was all it took for Enzo Maresca’s men to run out victors against Mourinho and Co. It was Maresca’s first Champions League victory as manager – but he’d be ruing the ill-discipline of his players given they’ve faced three red cards in four matches.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: No Chelsea player, since the 2016/17 campaign, has made more than Moises Caicedo’s eight tackles vs Benfica in a single Champions League match.
With Maresca, who is widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football, opting to deploy Tyrique George through the middle for their European outing against Benfica, Pedro was forced to warm the bench until the 61st minute. Keen to get stuck into the action straightaway, he received his first yellow card a minute later and then, with seconds on the clock, received his second.
How Many Chelsea Games Joao Pedro Misses After Champions League Red Card Revealed
Pedro, who enjoyed a bright start to his Chelsea career by winning the Club World Cup in the summer, received his first caution of the night after he tried to win a header from a throw-in, perhaps with more force than necessary, and he took out Benfica’s Enzo Barrenechea from behind in the process.
He then contested a loose ball in the air with a high boot in the dying embers of the Blues’ narrow victory, and although he made zero contact with Leandro Barreiro – who fell to the floor while clutching his face – referee Daniel Siebert deemed it to be a reckless challenge attempt to win the ball. Watch the incident below:
Despite the 24-year-old pleading his innocence, it was to no avail as Siebert dished out a second yellow card and Pedro was given his marching orders. This is, however, not the five-cap Brazil international’s first sending off of his career as he picked up a red card during his time at Brighton & Hove Albion in a 4-2 loss to Brentford.
As mentioned, this is not the first time this season that Maresca and his entourage have had to deal with suspensions via red cards; Robert Sanchez was given a straight red card for his reckless challenge on Bryan Mbeumo a couple of weeks ago and Trevoh Chalobah picked up another in their recent 3-1 loss to Birighton & Hove Albion.
Fortunately, as Maresca and his entourage look ahead in the hopes of getting more wins under their belt, Pedro – signed from Brighton for a deal worth £60 million in the summer of 2025– will be able to feature for the Blues in their clash with Arne Slot’s Liverpool on the weekend.
Unlike domestic competitions in England, suspensions do not transfer over into the next immediate match, according to football.london. The report claimed:
“In serious circumstances, suspensions can move across the Champions League and Premier League but this incident was not one of them. This means Pedro can play against Arne Slot’s side at the weekend.”
Instead, Pedro faces a one-match ban, and he will miss Chelsea’s home clash with Ajax on October 22. He will return to action at Europe’s top table when the Blues travel to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag FK for their fourth league phase encounter of the campaign. Chelsea are unable to appeal the decision made by Siebert because his dismissal was as a result of a second bookable offence.