Mourinho sent the two Brazilians on just after the hour mark in Cyprus, in a bid to help Madrid find a way past a sturdy APOEL defence.
In the 74th minute Kaká set up Karim Benzema’s first goal of the night, before finding the back of the net himself just eight minutes later thanks to Marcelo’s assist.
Speaking in the post-match press conference at the G S Pancypria Stadium, Mourinho admitted his side were made to work hard for their win. The former Chelsea boss said:
“We won the match because we played well. APOEL were great defensively and they had great team spirit.
“We knew it was going to be a complicated match but sending on Kaká and Marcelo was decisive.
