Home / Sport / Soccer / UEFA Champions League / 2025-2026 / Real Madrid vs Benfica

Event

Real Madrid vs Benfica

Date
Wed 25th February 2026 (UTC)
Wed 25th February 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-02-25T20:00:00

Time

20:00:00 UTC (20:00:00 Local)

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League
UEFA Champions League

Season
2025-2026

Round
32

Status
Match Finished

Location
Spain
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

	Tchouameni		(16')
	Júnior		(80')

Silva

(14')

Video Highlights

Home Team Lineup

Güler César Pal 84	Valverde	Camavinga Mastantuon 77
Asencio Alaba 77	Rudiger	García Pitarch 84
Tchouameni	Courtois	Júnior
Carreras Fran Garc� 90	Alexander-Arnold

Away Team Lineup

Silva	Ríos	Araújo
Otamendi	Schjelderup Franjo Iva 85	Pavlidis
Aursnes Barreneche 85	Trubin	Dahl
Barreiro Cabral 90	Dedić

Event Statistics

Shots on Goal

Shots off Goal

Total Shots

Blocked Shots

Shots insidebox

Shots outsidebox

Fouls

Corner Kicks

Offsides

Ball Possession

Yellow Cards

Red Cards

Goalkeeper Saves

Total passes

568

440

Passes accurate

512

380

Passes %

expected_goals

1.11

1.98

goals_prevented

-1.06

Description

The second leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout playoff at the Santiago Bernabéu serves as a high-stakes "mechanical necessity" for Real Madrid, who enter the home fixture with a narrow 1-0 aggregate lead. The strategic narrative centers on whether Los Blancos can avoid a repeat of their January league-phase stumble against the Portuguese giants. The primary hurdle for the hosts is the potential absence of Kylian Mbappé, who remains a doubt for the clash, forcing manager Álvaro Arbeloa to potentially lean on young talent like Gonzalo García or Franco Mastantuono to lead the line. Tactically, Madrid must balance their typical European aggression with a defensive discipline that was lacking in their 4-2 defeat to Benfica just weeks prior.

The headline story focuses on José Mourinho’s Benfica, who arrive in Madrid knowing they are only one goal away from leveling the tie. Strategically, the Eagles must overcome the suspension of creative spark Gianluca Prestianni, likely turning to Dodi Lukébakio to provide the width and pace needed to trouble Madrid’s fullbacks. For Benfica, the objective is to replicate the high-tempo pressure that saw them dismantle Madrid in Lisbon during the league phase. With the Bernabéu crowd expectant, the ability of Vinícius Júnior—the lone scorer from the first leg—to exploit the counter-attack will be the decisive factor in which side marches on to the Round of 16.

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Result List

Result Description

The second leg of the Champions League knockout playoff at the Santiago Bernabéu saw Real Madrid overcome a resilient Benfica side to secure their place in the Round of 16. The strategic narrative of the match was one of survival and efficiency; despite being outplayed in expected goals (xG 1.11 to 1.98), Madrid utilized their individual brilliance to clinch a 2-1 victory on the night and a 3-1 aggregate win.

The primary hurdle for the hosts was an early shock when Rafa Silva silenced the Bernabéu in the 14th minute, leveling the aggregate score and punishing a defensive lapse. However, the "mechanical necessity" of a quick response was met just two minutes later when Aurélien Tchouaméni drilled a low strike home following a clinical setup by Federico Valverde. The tie remained on a knife-edge until the 80th minute, when Valverde once again acted as the catalyst, releasing Vinícius Júnior for a composed finish into the far corner to break Benfica's spirit.

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