The post-match press conference at the Estádio da Luz was half-empty.
Benfica's manager, Rui Vitória, was notably absent.
His empty chair was a story in itself.
He would later be fined €5,000 by UEFA for failing to attend.
On the other side of the room, José Mourinho wore a slight, satisfied smile.
He was clearly very pleased with the 3-0 result.
As for incidentally humiliating the club that had once betrayed him and silencing their fans... he truly didn't seem to give it a second thought.
The room was buzzing.
The reporters knew this was their moment.
A reporter from The Times raised his hand.
"Mr. Mourinho. Manchester United has nine points from nine in the Champions League and is second in the league. You seem to be building momentum. Do you have anything you'd like to say about the state of your team?"
Fifty percent of all football news traffic on non-match days relied on José Mourinho.
This wasn't just an empty statement.
As the hottest topic in football, he could even appear in posts on NBA forums.
The reporters were all eager, pens poised, ready to dig up a sensational, headline-grabbing story from the man before them.
Mourinho leaned into the microphone. "When was the last time Manchester United won two consecutive away matches in the Champions League?" He paused, looking around the room.
"And when was the last time Manchester United earned nine consecutive points in the Champions League group stage?"
He let the questions hang in the air.
Seeing that no one had an immediate answer, he chuckled lightly.
"I wonder if you still remember?" he continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I once said, in this very room with some of you, that after three transfer windows, I would have a team that I truly wanted."
"If you compare this season's Manchester United with last season's, and you examine the strength of the two squads, you can see at a glance... the current Manchester United is more complete. It is stronger. It is my team."
He leaned forward, his eyes glinting under the harsh lights.
"Now, I have the team I wanted. And I am preparing to lead it back to the pinnacle of English football. My players and I... we have absolute confidence in this."
The reporters below listened to Mourinho's remarks and couldn't help but exchange stunned glances.
Pens were flying across notepads.
If it were any other manager, they would have dismissed it as empty boasting.
But standing before them was Mourinho.
His accolades were too numerous to count.
He had won the Premier League title just two years ago with Chelsea.
These achievements were solid, undeniable proof.
They suddenly felt that these words weren't just a boast; they were Mourinho's most genuine thoughts.
These were goals he believed were entirely, inevitably, achievable.
'Perhaps this year, Manchester United could truly return to the top?'
....
Sky Sports News 🎙️
[Image: Mourinho at the press conference, finger raised]
Sky Sports Announcer: "And there you have it. José Mourinho in a typically bullish mood, effectively declaring that his Manchester United team is now complete and ready to return to the 'pinnacle of English football.' He's certainly laying down the gauntlet to Manchester City."
Pundit (Alan Smith): "Well, you can't fault his confidence, can you? He thrives on this. He loves to build this 'us against the world' mentality. And to be fair, nine points from nine in Europe is a perfect start. He's reminding everyone, 'I am José Mourinho. I am a winner.' This is him in his element. He's just thrown a grenade right into Pep Guardiola's press conference for tomorrow."
....
Several hours later, the Manchester United players, showered and fed, immediately boarded their chartered flight back to Manchester.
With the ninth round of the Premier League against Huddersfield just two days away, they had to hurry back to prepare.
There was no time to stay in Portugal and experience the local culture.
This left Ling somewhat disappointed.
He was still an 18-year-old.
After all, the daily grind of training—dorm, training ground, stadium, plane, repeat—was monotonous.
Even an iron man would struggle to endure it. Balancing work and rest was essential.
However, he quickly shook off his negative emotions.
He was a professional.
He settled into his business-class seat, closed his eyes, and focused on the system panel that appeared in his mind.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Congratulations on completing the main quest: Obtain five assists!]
[Quest reward: Golden Module Treasure Chest!]
He felt a small jolt of excitement.
What module would he get this time?
Truth be told, his training schedule was already packed to the breaking point.
His notepad was full: weak foot development (left), long-range passing, dribbling combinations, explosive speed drills, and now, his new focus, curling shots.
There were only 24 hours in a day.
The time available for dedicated training was limited.
While watching his attribute values increase daily was satisfying, it also made him anxious.
He was impatient.
Ling took a deep breath, forcing the frustration down.
He knew that as the schedule grew tighter, he was becoming increasingly eager to improve his skills as quickly as possible.
But in reality, such emotions didn't help progress.
Instead, they had a negative impact.
'Calm down. Let it settle.'
No matter what module he obtained, he needed to remain calm, slowly hone his skills, and let them become muscle memory.
Only then could his techniques become more refined.
[Opening Golden Module Treasure Chest...]
[Module selection complete...]
[...]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Dennis Bergkamp "First Touch" module!]
[Note: This module is an experiential and insight-based type!]
As a golden light flashed before his eyes, countless fragments of knowledge, feelings, and "Eureka!" moments flooded into Ling's mind.
What level is Bergkamp's first touch? It was, undoubtedly, master class.
But there are many players in football who can control the ball well.
Bergkamp's brilliance, his genius, lay in his advanced awareness and creativity.
It was as if he had already planned his next three moves before the ball even left his teammate's foot.
That soft yet precise, skilled yet elegant touch... it was exceptionally rare.
According to the system's notes, this module was different.
It did not directly improve his [Ball Control] attribute.
Instead, it converted Bergkamp's genius into pure knowledge, instilling it directly into his mind.
It was a new software, but it had to be run on his existing hardware.
It must be refined through relentless training.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this—because it demanded his own effort—that it was "only" a gold module and not a platinum one.
...
Three hours later, the plane's wheels touched down at Manchester International Airport. Ling opened his eyes.
He had gained some new insights.
He realized that the core of this module was more like a way of thinking about ball handling.
It was a tactical, analytical upgrade.
It was about actively deciphering the opponent's defensive logic before the ball arrived.
'Where is the defender's weight? Is he on his front foot or back foot? Is he showing me the line or the inside? Where is the space he's leaving?'
By answering those questions in a split second, he could determine the power, direction, and angle of his first touch, and the subsequent actions needed to achieve the desired outcome.
A first touch wasn't just to control the ball.
A first touch could be a dribble past a defender.
A first touch could be a pass to a teammate.
A first touch could be the setup for a shot.
Of course, he knew that even with this well-developed, genius-level mindset, it would be nothing more than a castle in the air without his solid fundamentals.
He had the "how"; now he had to perfect the "what."
Soon, everyone returned to the training base.
After bidding farewell to his teammates, Ling went back to his dorm and fell asleep almost immediately.
Although he hadn't played the full 90 minutes, the frequent high-intensity duels of the last few weeks had taken a significant toll on his stamina.
....
With the conclusion of the third round of the group stage, the media began scrambling to report on the biggest storylines.
Naturally, the focus wasn't on Manchester United's routine 3-0 victory over Benfica.
The real stories were:
Real Madrid 1-1 Tottenham: At the Bernabéu, no less.
Thanks to an own goal by Varane and a penalty from Ronaldo, the two teams surprisingly ended in a draw.
Although Tottenham's league form had been shaky, they held their own against the two-time defending champions.
Manchester City 2-1 Napoli: A clash of titans.
Guardiola gave a tactical lesson in high-pressing to his predecessor, Maurizio Sarri.
Fans from various clubs also engaged in heated discussions online.
@Hotsur_Harry: "Lads, I'm not getting carried away... but we just drew at the Bernabeu. Are we... are we massive? Is the trophy cabinet about to get some new additions?"
@Pochs_Magic: "Don't get ahead of yourselves. Pochettino's focus is the league. This match was just an anomaly. But WHAT an anomaly!"
@RealMadrid_UK: "Spurs played well, fair play. But no one believes our dominance is over. We stumble in the group stage every year and then we win the whole thing. It's what we do. Zidane's voodoo is too strong."
@City_BlueMoon: "Forget Spurs. Did you watch us against Napoli? That was poetry. Pep just dismantled the 'best-pressing-team-in-Europe.' We are on another level this season."