Can Benfica stun Real Madrid once more in playoff contest?

Just 19 days after their historic 4-2 victory over Real Madrid, Benfica welcome the Spanish powerhouse to Estadio da Luz for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff contest on Tuesday night.

Benfica claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Santa Clara in the Primeira Liga at the weekend.

The two sides met in the final game of the league-phase stage, with Benfica triumphing 4-2 over Real Madrid to secure their spot in the playoffs.

Los Blancos battered Real Sociedad 4-1 last time out in La Liga to claim the top spot in the league table.

Match preview

Benfica have won three of their four Champions League/European Cup games against Real Madrid (L1), beating the Spanish side 4-2 in the final round of League Phase fixtures this season to progress to the knockout round.

Real Madrid have won eight of their last 10 Champions League games against Portuguese sides (D1 L1), netting 2.2 goals on average per fixture during that time.

The Eagles have won just two of their last eight Champions League games against Spanish opposition (D1 L5), though both of those wins have come on home soil whilst scoring exactly four goals in each – 4-0 vs Atletico Madrid in October 2024 and 4-2 vs Real Madrid in January.

Across their last 11 matches in the Champions League, Real Madrid have lost more often (6) than they have won (5). Prior to these last 11, their previous six defeats in the competition came over a span of 39 matches (between April 2022 and March 2025).

Benfica have won their last two Champions League home games (2-0 v Napoli and 4-2 v Real Madrid). The only previous occasion in which they have won three in a row in the same edition was in 1994/95, in their first three matches following the competition’s rebrand.

Los Blancos ranked 22nd in the league phase of this season’s Champions League for high turnovers (58). However, they ranked first for the percentage of high turnovers resulting in shots (31% – 18/58).

Kylian Mbappé has scored 13 goals in seven appearances for Real Madrid in the Champions League this season. Of players with 5+ games played, this is the highest goals-per-game ratio of any player in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign (1.86).

Vangelis Pavlidis is one goal away from becoming just the second Benfica player to score 10+ goals in the Champions League (currently on 9), after their all-time top scorer in the competition, Óscar Cardozo (11).

Team news

Benfica

Alexander Bah and Richard Rios have returned to training after their respective injuries but are not expected to feature in this game.

Fredrik Aursnes is definitely out, while Samuel Soares remains a doubt.

Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao are sidelined with injuries, while Kylian Mbappe is expected to return back to the matchday squad after he missed the win against Real Sociedad.

Raul Asencio is suspended after picking up a second yellow card in the Benfica defeat, while Rodrygo Goes is also suspended following his red card against Benfica last time out.

Predicted line-ups

Benfica: Trubin, Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl, Barreiro, Barrenechea, Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup, Pavlidis.

Real Madrid: Courtois, Carreras, Huijsen, Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde, Vinicius, Guler, Mbappe.