UEFA Champions League Prediction: Benfica – Real Madrid (17-02-2026)

One of the best games of this year’s UEFA Champions League edition gets its repetition. After three weeks, Benfica welcomes Real Madrid again and after the last meeting the expectations are very high.

Jose Mourinho’s men made the impossible look possible with their dramatic last round match which earned the spot in the knock out stage. Up till the 98’ minute they were out of top 24, but the goalkeepers A.Trubin goal which increased the lead 4-2 and made the teams goal difference better guaranteed the 24th place.

Overall, the legendary Portuguese coach collected 3 wins since taking the club over after the first two rounds beating Napoli and Ajax. This solidified his relationship with the board for now, since in Portugal the things are not looking great.

Although they remain as the only team without a single loss, Benfica are still 7 points away from the first placed Porto and the run in the Portuguese cup is already over. The club might remain without a trophy this season, so the Champions League performance should be a big factor for the manager’s future.

Real Madrid’s loss to Benfica cost them a place in the top 8 and now they have to play an extra fixture to reach the quarterfinals. This was already a third defeat for the Los Blancos as previously they have lost to Liverpool and Manchester City.

However, all other 5 fixtures were won which allowed them to finish pretty high knowing the amount of matches they’ve lost. Also, the Spanish giants remained with only 9 men on the field in the final minutes of the game versus Benfica, which likely was a factor in the defeat.

The Galacticos quickly turned things around with two straight wins in the La Liga and now are the hottest team in the league with 5 wins in a row. Now they are only 1 point away from first place and their fierce rival Barcelona, so the team is still in a fight for several trophies.

In the first meeting Benfica were very aware that they must win and likely by more than one goal. This led them to choose a more attacking game plan and this match should be a different story. J.Mourinho will evaluate the fact that there will be two legs and will be more careful.

Despite the fact that Real Madrid lost, K.Mbappe once again was unstoppable and now is getting very close to breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of most goals in a single UEFA Champions League campaign.

We are expecting him to score again as he is just too much for the defenders and if anything will convert a penalty if it’s given. Sports bookmakers are likely to reflect this.