Last spring in Lisbon ended with defeats to Sporting both in the Primeira and in the cup. After the summer break, they started well, including winning the Super Cup. But after a few setbacks early in the autumn, the coach was replaced, with Mourinho taking over.
However, under him, they are trailing in the league not only behind Sporting but even more behind Porto—and lost to them in the cup as well. Moreover, unlike in 2025, there won’t be a League Cup either, as they lost to Braga in the semi-finals. But there is a crisis at the “Santiago Bernabeu” too. Last year, they didn’t win a single trophy. And January began with a defeat to Barcelona in the Super Cup, after which Xabi Alonso departed.
In the Champions League, the Portuguese changed their coach after a spineless 2-3 home loss to Qarabag. But then, already under Mourinho, they suffered dry defeats to Chelsea, Newcastle, and Bayer. However, they ended the year with victories not only over a struggling Ajax but also over Napoli. Against another Italian side, Juventus, they lost 0-2.
The Spanish giants started the opposite way, successfully—with wins over Marseille, Kairat, and Juventus. But then problems emerged here too: they lost to the English teams, Liverpool and Manchester City, though there was a 4-3 win over Olympiacos. Under Arbeloa, they finished with a 6-1 win against Monaco.
Benfica vs Real Madrid: Key Stats and Trends
Benfica have won twice in their last four rounds
The team scores 1.0 goals per match, conceding 0.91
Real Madrid have lost twice in their last four rounds
The club scores 2.71 goals per match, conceding 1.14
Benfica vs Real Madrid: Possible Starting Lineups
Benfica (probable lineup): Trubin – Dall, Otamendi, Tomas Araujo, Dedic – Eursnes, Barreiro, Skjellerup, Sudakov, Prestianni – Pavlidis
Real Madrid (probable lineup): Courtois – Camavinga, Heisen, Asensio, Valverde – Bellingham, Tchouameni, Güler – Vinicius Junior, Mbappe, Mastantuono
Previous Matches: Benfica vs Real Madrid
Interestingly, the clubs have only played each other once, in a friendly match in 2012. The Portuguese side won 5-2!
Free Prediction for Benfica vs Real Madrid
The visitors from Spain are considered favorites, but the match is sure to be entertaining—we predict “over 3.0 goals total” (odds – 1.78).
