Benfica vs. Real Madrid Prediction: UEFA Champions League Playoff Round Preview
The UEFA Champions League playoff round begins this week, with 16 teams vying for eight Round of 16 spots over two legs.
Get ready for one of the biggest rematches of the tournament this week, between Benfica and Real Madrid tomorrow at 3 pm ET. Benfica are a thorn in Los Blancos’s side this season, stunning them with an incredible 4-2 win to stay in the Champions League on the final matchday of the group stage. The Royal Whites are no strangers to winning the trophy, but they’ll have to be near-perfect against former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, a team that will be rearing to go once again at home turf.
Benfica vs. Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Betting Odds
This will be the fifth matchup in history between the two sides, although it will truly be hard to outdo their last fixture, which saw Benfica clutch a 4-2 win to stay in Champions League football this season. As Aguias’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, scored the final goal of the game to secure 24th place for the Portuguese team on goal differential.
Real Madrid is still a hot contender for the trophy, though, set to win it all at +1100, but they’ll have to take out Benfica first. Madrid heads to the Estadio da Luz for vengeance over their last result at -105 odds, while the Portuguese defend their honor as +255 home underdogs. A draw is very possible given the circumstances, priced at +290 for this one.
Bet on Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Real Madrid
The Royal Whites’ last loss came against Benfica at the end of January, and while they haven’t beaten their Portuguese opponents since 1965, they’ve been on a roll with three straight wins in their domestic league. The team has seemingly found a new breath on the attack this month, with Los Blancos netting eight goals in three games, while only allowing two. In their most recent game, they defeated Real Sociedad 4-1, with Vinicius Junior recording two penalty goals.
Kylian Mbappe was the only player to score for Madrid in their last match against Benfica, and comes in as the game’s most likely goalscorer at -120 after leading LA Liga and the UCL in goals. Gonzalo Garcia follows at +400, along with a snowballing Vinicius Junior at +300, who now has three goals in his last three games since breaking through his scoring drought.
Benfica Lisbon
This is a huge game for Benfica, and they’ll need to come into this one with the same mindset as their last confrontation with the Spanish giants. Including their 4-2 win over Madrid at the end of the group stage, As Aguias are undefeated with five straight wins, with only one draw in the mix in Liga Portugal. Their last two straight wins have been 2-1 results, with the Portuguese side only seeing four goals in their last three games. Game management will be critical in this first leg, as Benfica will need to hold at least a draw at home turf to set the grounds for the potential to go through against one of the toughest opponents in Europe.
While the top Portuguese Primeira goalscorer, Vangelis Pavlidis (20), rivals Mbappe in domestic league goal count, he’s only got two to show for in the UCL, with one coming in his last game against Madrid. The dangerous Greek international forward could be the main difference for his squad tonight, and he comes in priced at +150 to score anytime.
UEFA Champions League playoff round prediction: Who Will Win Benfica vs. Real Madrid?
Benfica will have to come in extremely energized for this matchup, exactly as they did before, and test Courtois with as many shots as possible. One goal could easily be the difference, and if As Aguias strike first, they will likely shift to a defensive focus to hold the lead the whole game. They have the home-field advantage, and their last victory over Madrid proves that they’re capable of repeating the same result.
Even with that being said, the truth is, Real Madrid are battle-hardened veterans in the competition, with loads of talent in their starting 11 and bench. If Mbappe isn’t locked down, he will surely score, and that’s excluding other threats like Garcia, Vinicius, Bellingham, and Rodrygo.
Los Blancos are back in form as well, which makes me think that only if Benfica plays fired up and empty the full tank, can they hold on to a draw, possibly 1-1 for the first leg.