Real Madrid Hold Narrow Advantage Over Benfica Ahead of Champions League Second Leg

Real Madrid hold a one-goal advantage over Benfica as they host the second leg of their Champions League knockout round play-off at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Los Blancos will be hoping to bounce back after a damaging La Liga setback, where a last-minute winner from Osasuna handed Barcelona the edge in the title race, leaving Madrid second in the table.

Meanwhile, Benfica return to a stadium they have not visited competitively since 1965 when Eusébio scored in a 2–1 defeat, although the Portuguese side still advanced 6–3 on aggregate.

The 15-time Champions League winners, Real Madrid, will be aiming to mask a chaotic domestic campaign with European success. Benfica, chasing history, hope to rewrite the narrative of a tie that last week was painted in darker shades than football should ever allow.

The first leg in Lisbon ended 1–0 to Madrid, settled by Vinícius Júnior and a moment of brilliance that should have defined the tie.

Instead, the night spiralled into controversy. Alleged racist abuse directed towards Vinícius Júnior by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni caused outrage on and off the pitch. The incident marked the 20th case of alleged racist abuse directed at Vinícius during his eight years at the club. A UEFA investigation is currently underway.

That first-leg fallout now impacts Benfica’s options.

José Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu touchline is halted by suspension. The two-time Champions League-winning manager has delegated pre-match media duties to assistant João Tralhão, in accordance with UEFA regulations and following scrutiny around his post-match comments.

Benfica will also be without Gianluca Prestianni, who is provisionally suspended by UEFA pending the outcome of the investigation.

Madrid’s own availability issues are significant.

Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Éder Militão remain long-term absentees. Dean Huijsen picked up an injury against Osasuna and has been ruled out. Rodrygo is also unavailable, serving a two-match suspension dating back to the sides’ league-phase meeting in January an astonishing 4–2 victory for Benfica.

Awaiting the winner in the Round of 16 is either Manchester City or Sporting CP, both of whom secured automatic qualification.

An all-Portuguese tie would carry its own narrative weight. Yet another Manchester City vs Real Madrid showdown would represent Europe’s modern heavyweight rivalry. Since 2019-20, the two sides have met five times in the knockout rounds. Real Madrid have progressed three times, while Manchester City hold a 21-18 aggregate scoring edge across ten fixtures.

This tie, however, transcends qualification.

After a first leg clouded by controversy, the decisive chapter must now be settled under conditions where football and nothing else takes centre stage.