Real Madrid go to Benfica tonight in the Champions League. Get all the team news here…
Real Madrid are back in Lisbon tonight, just three weeks on from one of the most humbling nights in their recent history.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side face Benfica and will look to avenge the 4-2 defeat they suffered at the hands of Jose Mourinho and Anatoliy Trubin on January 28.
Madrid arrived in Portugal sitting nicely in the top eight and eyeing a place in the Champions League round of 16 without the need to navigate the play-offs. But their hopes unfolded on a dramatic night that concluded with home goalkeeper Trubin ordered forward for a last-gasp free-kick and with Benfica needing one more goal to remain in the competition.
The Ukraine international duly headed in Fredrik Aursnes’ superb delivery to spark scenes of delirium at the Estádio da Luz and heap further embarrassment on a Madrid team knocked out of the Copa del Rey at second tier Albacete two weeks earlier.
A 3-2 loss would not have been enough for Madrid to qualify automatically but the optics of conceding to a goalkeeper was not a good look, as Kylian Mbappe confirmed.
“That last goal doesn’t change anything in terms of the result, but for us it looks shameful. Conceding from the goalkeeper hurts,” said the France international.
“We were lacking a little bit of everything – aggression, concentration and quality of play. There are no small things in the Champions League: if you don’t go out on the pitch at your best, you get punished.”
Since that point, things have looked up for Madrid with three successive wins in La Liga taking them above Barcelona in the title race.
Benfica have won their last two Primeira Liga games but performances continue to be unconvincing and this is as big a night for Mourinho as it is Arbeloa.
BENFICA TEAM NEWS
Right-back Alexander Bah (knee) is out injured for Benfica. Wideman Samuel Dahl, midfielder Dodi Lukebakio and defender Nicolas Otamendi will be banned for the second leg if they are booked.
Trubin, of course, starts in goal.
Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Samuel Dahl, Nicolás Otamendi, Tomás Araújo, Amar Dedic, Fredrik Aursnes, Leandro Barreiro, Andreas Schjelderup, Rafa, Gianluca Prestianni, Vangelis Pavlidis
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS
Defender Eder Militao (hamstring) and forward Jude Bellingham (thigh) are sidelined for Madrid. Centre-back Raul Asencio and winger Rodrygo are suspended.
Left-back Alvaro Carreras, centre-back Dean Huijsen and Aurelian Tchouameni are each at risk of missing the second leg, should they be cautioned.
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Álvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé
How to watch Benfica v Madrid: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on Amazon Prime Video.
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Benfica v Real Madrid stats
- Before this season, Benfica and Real Madrid’s meetings had been in the 1962 European Cup final, which Benfica won 5-3, and the 1964/65 quarter-finals, in which Benfica won 5-1 at home and lost 2-1 in Madrid
- Benfica have lost their last five European ties against Spanish opposition
- Their most recent such win was against Real Betis in the 1982/83 UEFA Cup (now the Europa League)
- The Portuguese side have won four of their six European home matches this season (L2)
- Before losing to Benfica, Madrid were unbeaten in 10 successive matches against Portuguese teams (W8 D2)
- Real Madrid have won 10 of their last 12 two-legged ties in the Champions League
- Mbappe has 13 goals in seven European appearances this season, including eight in his last three
- The 15-time champions are participating in the Champions League knockout phase for a 29th successive season, while Benfica have reached this stage for the fourth time in five seasons
- Mourinho was Madrid boss from May 2010 to June 2013, winning the Copa del Rey in 2010/11 and La Liga the following season
- Carreras joined Madrid last summer from Benfica, for whom he made 68 appearances and scored five goals between 2024 and 2025
