Benfica host Real Madrid in the first leg of their knockout play-off tie in 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.
Benfica set up this tie by scraping through on the final day of the league phase in 24th position with victory; which coincidentally saw them beat Real Madrid 4-2 at home in that game.
Team News
Alexander Bah is unlikely to be available for Benfica despite having resumed training following a lengthy cruciate ligament injury.
Samuel Soares, Fredrik Aursnes (both muscle), Joao Veloso and Richard Rios (both shoulder) are too not expected to be available for selection.
Real Madrid will be without Raul Asencio after he picked up a second booking of the campaign in their league phase clash, which means that he is suspended for the first leg.
Rodrygo is too suspended after he was shown a straight red card but his ban was subsequently extended to two matches, which has ruled him out of both legs in this tie.
Jude Bellingham (hamstring) and Eder Militao (tendon)
When is Kick-Off?
Benfica host Real Madrid at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday 17 February at 8pm CET, live on Amazon Prime in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Benfica have won three of their four previous Champions League meetings against Real Madrid (W3, L1).
- Real Madrid are yet to win away to Benfica in a two-legged tie (L2), having lost 5-1 in first leg of their 1964-65 Quarter-Final tie, then lost 4-2 just last month in their final league phase fixture.
- Neither team have kept a clean sheet in any of their last four Champions League meetings.
- Two of Andreas Schjelderup’s three Champions League goals for Benfica this season came at home, of which those two goals were scored against Real Madrid.
- Real Madrid’s last six away Champions League goals have all been scored by Kylian Mbappe.
Prediction
Having scraped through on a dramatic final day of the league phase, Benfica now need to sort out their defensive play which was their vulnerability in that stage because Real Madrid will be eager to atone for last month’s defeat with a much better display.
Real Madrid though lost three of their last five league phase fixtures and failed to keep a single clean sheet in any of those games, so they know that they must improve if want to banish their Benfica away hoodoo which is a tough ask as both teams do have goals in them.
If there is one thing pretty certain about this fixture is that both teams will get at least one goal so I expect another cracking scrap, but this time will probably be level pegging to set up a dramatic second leg.
Prediction: Benfica 2-2 Real Madrid
Result: Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid
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