Jose Mourinho defended his decision to snub Romelu Lukaku – and extend the Manchester United striker’s goal drought to six games.
Lukaku stepped up to take a penalty in the 78th-minute, only to be told to step aside on the orders of Mourinho, with Daley Blind dispatching the spot-kick to seal victory.
United made it four wins from four and need just a point to qualify for the last 16, but all the talk at Old Trafford was of Lukaku’s spot-kick snub.
Anthony Martial, who had earlier missed from the spot, had been substituted, leaving Lukaku free to take the second penalty of the night in a bid to end his month-long wait for a goal.
But Mourinho’s intervention ultimately saw Blind handed responsibility for the penalty, a decision defended by the United boss, who had 24 hours earlier hailed Lukaku as “untouchable”.
“I’m paid to take decisions, good or bad,” said Mourinho. “In the first-half the decision was bad, in the second-half I made another decision and I don’t see the drama.
“The penalty taker for this match was Martial, but he wasn’t even on the pitch when the second one was given.
“Ander Herrera was the same, but that was my decision, based on training in the past couple of days.”
A point away to Basel on November 22 will see United win Group A and potentially avoid facing one of Europe’s heavyweights in the last 16.
Mourinho said: “I don’t know what’s important, because sometimes a team finishes first and gets a difficult draw against a second-placed team.
“Sometimes you get second place and get somebody you didn’t expect, so I don’t know.
“What I know is we want to win the maximum number of points. We haven’t qualified yet, so we’re going to try to win the next two matches and finish with 18 points.
“The last time United were in the Champions League they finished third and went out, so it would be nice to do it and we will try.”
United took the lead through an own goal from Benfica keeper Mile Svilar, before Blind’s penalty sealed the victory.
