JAKARTA - Portuguese giant Benfica will host 14-time European champions Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz in the first leg of the Champions League playoff, Tuesday night, February 17 or Wednesday morning, February 18. This match is predicted to be fierce considering the last meeting between the two teams produced six goals and a surprising victory for the Portuguese representative.
Benfica came with high confidence after previously defeating Madrid 4-2 in the league phase. The result ensured that they qualified for the playoffs by goal difference, after finishing in 24th place in the final standings. In eight league phase matches, Benfica recorded three wins and five losses - an inconsistent journey but enough to keep their hopes alive in the elite European competition.
Jose Mourinho's team has shown an improvement in performance in recent weeks. From the last five matches in all competitions, they have won four victories and one draw. In the latest match, Benfica won 2-1 over Santa Clara in a tight away game, extending the positive trend ahead of this crucial duel.
Home form is an important capital. At the Estadio da Luz, Benfica was aggressive and effective in the attacking transition. However, the league phase statistics show an not ideal balance: scoring 10 goals and conceding 12. This means that in addition to being productive, they also still leave a defensive gap that can be exploited by teams with high individual quality such as Real Madrid.
The 4-2 victory over Madrid was previously the main highlight of their campaign. In that match, Benfica was able to take advantage of the opponent's defensive organization weakness and perform efficiently during the fast transition. They certainly hope to be able to repeat the same intensity and effectiveness in this meeting.
On the other hand, Real Madrid arrived in Lisbon with a solid domestic performance. They won four of the last five games in all competitions. The 4-1 win over Real Sociedad last weekend was an important morale boost, with Vinicius Junior performing sharply and scoring two goals.
However, Madrid's performance in the Champions League this season is not entirely stable. They collected 15 points from eight league phase matches, finishing in ninth place with five wins and three losses. Offensively, Los Blancos are very productive with 21 goals, but the back line has shown inconsistency after conceding 12 times.
The 4-2 defeat to Benfica was an important lesson. Madrid then looked fragile in the face of pressure and lacked discipline in maintaining the defensive structure during the transition. For this match, a more controlled and disciplined approach is expected to be implemented.
Coach Alvaro Arbeloa is aware that losing twice to the same opponent in a European season will be a blow to reputation. Therefore, Madrid is predicted to perform with high intensity but still be careful, considering this is the first leg which determines the direction of the two-match duel.
In terms of player condition, Benfica has not been able to field Alexander Bah who has just returned to training after a cruciate ligament injury and is likely not fit enough to appear. Samuel Soares is still in doubt due to muscle problems, while Fredrik Aursnes is confirmed to be absent. Joao Veloso is also not fully fit, and Richard Rios who has just recovered from a shoulder injury is expected not to be played.
Real Madrid got good news with the return of Kylian Mbappe who was previously absent against Real Sociedad. However, they lost Raul Asencio due to card accumulation and Rodrygo who underwent a two-match UEFA sanction after a red card. Jude Bellingham is absent due to a hamstring injury, while Eder Militao is still in the process of recovering from a tendon injury.
The previous meeting showed the potential of an open match with many opportunities created. However, this time Real Madrid will likely play more structured and control the tempo of the game. Their experience in the Champions League knockout phase often makes the difference in crucial moments.
With a more even individual quality and long experience in big European matches, Real Madrid have the opportunity to bring home an important victory from Lisbon and put themselves in a superior position ahead of the second leg.
The estimated line-up:
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis.
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Carreras, Huijsen, Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde; Vinicius, Mbappe, Guler.
Prediction: Benfica 0-2 Real Madrid.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
