The clubs will now meet for the third consecutive time in the Champions League

In the Champions League Round of 16 on February 25, 2026, Real Madrid and Benfica will play their return leg. The visitors need nothing but a win.

The Spanish giants, spoiled by past successes, are currently going through a very tough period. In 2025, they failed to win a single trophy, and even now have already suffered setbacks: under Xabi Alonso, they lost to Barcelona in the Super Cup, and Arbeloa debuted with an exit from the Copa del Rey. However, they are still trying to overtake the Catalans in La Liga.

The Portuguese side lost to neighboring Sporting both in the Primeira Liga and in the cup final last season. After the summer break, they got their revenge in the Super Cup, after which Mourinho was soon appointed as head coach… But so far, he is struggling in all domestic competitions.

In the Champions League, Mbappé and company started with three wins. But then problems began. Although they continued to win, there were also defeats. They lost to Liverpool, Manchester City, and, in the last round, to Benfica.

This summer, the current visitors qualified by beating Nice and Fenerbahçe. But in the main round, they suffered a lackluster 2-3 home defeat to Qarabag, which led to a coaching change. Yet, even under Mourinho, losses continued—to Chelsea, Newcastle, and Bayer. Fortunately, they then won three out of four matches, just managing to climb to 24th place. This was thanks to a goal by Trubin in the 90+ minute, sealing a 4-2 win over Real. Playing them again, they won narrowly and not without controversy.

Real Madrid vs Benfica: Key Stats and Trends
Real Madrid have lost three of their last six matches
The club scores an average of 2.44 goals and concedes 1.43 per game
Benfica have won three of their last five matches
The team averages 1.15 goals scored and concedes one in return
Real Madrid vs Benfica: Probable Starting Lineups
Real Madrid (probable lineup): Courtois – Alvaro Carreras, Heisen, Rüdiger, Alexander-Arnold – Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Güler, Valverde – Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé

Benfica (probable lineup): Trubin – Dahl, Otamendi, Tomás Araújo, Dedić – Eursnes, Barreiro, Rafa Silva, Schjelderup, Prestianni – Pavlidis

Previous Matches: Real Madrid vs Benfica
Having not played each other for a long time, the clubs will now meet for the third consecutive time in the Champions League.