Jose Mourinho's Benfica must win to have any chance of finishing in the top 24, while they can give his former club Real Madrid a wobble in their pursuit of a top eight place.
Benfica have managed two victories with five defeats in the league phase. Mourinho came in after the Portuguese giants suffered a surprise loss to Azeri champions Qarabag in their opening game. They most recently hammered Estrela da Amadora 4-0 at Estadio da Luz, remaining unbeaten in Liga Portugal but seven points adrift of O Classico rivals Porto at the top-of-the-table.
Real Madrid took the decision to sack Xabi Alonso earlier this month, replacing him with Alvaro Arbeloa. His reign began with a shock Copa del Rey loss to Albacete but has since been followed by impressive victories against Levante and Villarreal, sandwiching a 6-1 demolition of Monaco.
Can Real make sure of their round of 16 spot? AllSportsPeople brings you tips and odds for this Champions League clash, as well as how to get £40 in free bets on Sky Bet for the final matchday!
Benfica vs. Real Madrid Preview: Who Will Win?
We think this will be a score draw. Benfica have a real chance of putting a Madrid side already prone to complacency under a bit of pressure in the Portuguese capital city.
Arbeloa rested way too many players for their loss in Albacete and there has been a lot of criticism over the general arrogance of the Madrid squad, despite improved performances in the last 10 days or so.
If complacency sets in again, mentally or in terms of team selection, Benfica could spring a surprise. Madrid should still have the quality to avoid defeat against the functional home team.
Score Prediction: Benfica 2-2 Real Madrid (11/1 with Sky Bet)
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Head-to-Head: Benfica vs. Real Madrid
- The most recent outing between these two storied sides came in a friendly back in July 2012 with Benfica hammering Real Madrid 5-2.
- That is one of seven games between the two teams with Madrid winning three and Benfica winning on three occasions, too.
- They played out some famous clashes in the European Cup in the 60s with Benfica winning 5-3, inspired by Eusebio, in the 1962 European Cup final before a 6-3 aggregate victory in favour of the Portuguese in the quarter-finals of the 1964/65 campaign.
Benfica vs. Real Madrid: Form Guide
Benfica – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Benfica 4-0 Estrela da Amadora (Liga Portugal)
- Juventus 2-0 Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
- Rio Ave 0-2 Benfica (Liga Portugal)
- Porto 1-0 Benfica (Taca de Portugal)
- Benfica 1-3 Braga (Taca da Liga)
Real Madrid – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Villarreal 0-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
- Real Madrid 6-1 Monaco (UEFA Champions League)
- Real Madrid 2-0 Levante (La Liga)
- Albacete 3-2 Real Madrid (Copa del Rey)
- Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (Supercopa de Espana)
Benfica vs. Real Madrid Betting Tips
Real Madrid have kept back-to-back clean sheets in the league but they were unconvincing against Levante before coming up against a beleaguered Villarreal side.
Prior to that, Madrid were conceding goals with regularity. They have only kept three clean sheets in 11 matches across all competitions; two of which being those recent Liga games.
With a need to win and home advantage, Benfica will take the game to Madrid and them scoring two or more goals (7/4 with Sky Bet) looks like a value bet.
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Benfica vs. Real Madrid Team News
Benfica Team News
- The functional approach of Mourinho has seen Bruma and Franjo Ivanovic left on the bench and that is expected to be the case once again.
- New signing Rafa Silva is ineligible to play for the hosts having re-joined the club in this window but they don’t have any suspension issues.
- In terms of injury issues, key man Richard Rios is set to be unavailable until towards the end of the season, with key man Dodi Lukebakio also sidelined.
Real Madrid Team News
- Real Madrid have a few key injury doubts with Trent Alexander-Arnold trying to work himself back alongside fellow defenders Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy.
- Brahim Diaz has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, while Eder Militao remains missing due to a hamstring injury for the visitors.
- Madrid have benefited from a more balanced midfield of Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the last couple of weeks.
Benfica vs. Real Madrid Lineups: Predicted Starting XI’s
This is how we think the two teams will lineup at Estadio da Luz in this crucial Champions League clash.
Benfica predicted lineup to play Real Madrid
Trubin (GK) – Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl – Barreiro, Aursnes – Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup – Pavlidis
- Out: Soares, Bah, Wynder, Veloso, Rios, Lukebakio
- Doubtful: N/A
- Suspension: N/A
Real Madrid predicted lineup to play Benfica
Courtois (GK) – Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras – Bellingham, Tchouameni, Camavinga – Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius
- Out: Militao
- Doubtful: Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold, Mendy
- Suspension: N/A
Benfica vs. Real Madrid Odds
- Benfica to win: 18/5 with AK Bets
- Real Madrid to win: 3/4 with AK Bets
- Draw: 16/5 with Betway
Bet Builder Tips: Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Our bet builder for Benfica vs. Real Madrid backs both teams to score, Vangelis Pavlidis to score or assist, Kylian Mbappe to score and over 4.5 cards in the game, which came to overall best odds of 14/1 with Bet365 at the time of writing.
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How to watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid: Live Stream, TV Channel
- Date: Wednesday, January 28
- Venue: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
- Time: 20:00 GMT
- TV/Stream: TNT Sports / discovery+