Who: Benfica vs Actual Madrid
What: UEFA Champions League
The place: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
When: Tuesday, February 17 at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
Methods to comply with: Al Jazeera Sport has live textual content and picture protection of the Benfica vs Actual Madrid first-leg playoff.
The playoff part of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) begins on Tuesday with a few of Europe’s greatest names dealing with a crunch two-leg knockout sequence – none larger maybe than supervisor Jose Mourinho main Benfica towards his former membership Actual Madrid.
Advisable Tales
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The 2 groups have already got current historical past on this yr’s competitors: on January 28, Benfica beat the Spanish giants in dramatic vogue with a last-minute header, sealing the Portuguese facet’s place within the playoff.
The catastrophic defeat for Actual meant they slipped out of the automated qualifying positions for the spherical of 16 and had been pressured into the additional knockout part.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a take a look at a matchup that has a lot using on it, together with some small private pleasure for considered one of Actual’s most profitable coaches.
What occurred the final time Actual Madrid performed Benfica?
Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an astonishing 98th-minute header as Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2 to maintain themselves within the Champions League and deny their illustrious opponents automated entry by way of to the subsequent spherical.
In a unprecedented league part finale, the Portuguese facet had been heading out of the competitors regardless of main 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining earlier than Trubin got here ahead throughout a free kick to attain the purpose wanted to sneak into the playoff spherical on purpose distinction.
That sparked wild celebrations from Benfica gamers, followers and their charismatic coach Mourinho in Lisbon.
Los Blancos had hoped to keep away from the playoff spherical, however their 15 factors from eight video games weren’t sufficient, and Actual completed the soccer match with 9 males as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo had been despatched off.
In a last twist, Madrid had been handed a troublesome Champions League playoff draw towards Benfica, the very crew that consigned them to the playoffs.
What did Mbappe say after loss to Benfica?
Madrid star ahead Kylian Mbappe questioned the team’s desire after the upset loss to Benfica and stated the star-studded facet “deserve” to be of their present scenario as a result of they weren’t constant sufficient to acquire an automated qualification spot.
“The issue is we aren’t constant in our play. Now we have to repair that. You may’t have in the future [playing well] and one other not, a champion crew doesn’t do this,” Mbappe advised reporters.
“We should be on this scenario. Benfica had been higher. Now we’ve got to play two extra playoff video games. It hurts to need to play these. We wished to have the time in February to work on our sport.”
Mbappe stated he couldn’t put his finger on a transparent motive why Madrid performed so poorly towards Benfica on January 28.
“I feel it’s a little bit of every little thing. I can’t inform you it’s only a matter of perspective, as a result of if I solely say that, you’ll assume we got here right here with none want,” stated the French famous person, who scored twice within the defeat.
UCL victory towards Actual Madrid sealed Benfica’s current revival
Benfica had been mired within the backside 12 positions of the UCL ladder, which resulted in elimination from the competitors, till their last-gasp fourth by Trubin improved their purpose distinction to maneuver them into the playoff spots.
The 2-time winners’ exceptional restoration to take a playoff place – they completed twenty fourth within the 36-team league part, the final qualifying spot – was not solely encapsulated by the defeat of Actual, however by successful three of their final 4 matches after shedding their opening 4 video games.
When was Jose Mourinho supervisor of Actual Madrid?
The previous Chelsea, Inter Milan and Manchester United supervisor was in cost at Actual for 3 seasons following his appointment in Might 2010.
This adopted big success at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, the place he gained the Champions League with the previous and the latter, whereas additionally securing a primary top-flight title in 40 years for Chelsea.
Mourinho, 63, solely took over at Benfica in September, changing Bruno Lage as supervisor after a sluggish begin to the season.
What was Mourinho’s document at Actual Madrid, and what did he win?
Mourinho completed second to Barcelona in his first season in cost, regardless of Cristiano Ronaldo main the La Liga scoring charts with 40 objectives that season.
Lionel Messi smashed in 50 objectives the next season, nevertheless it was Actual’s Portuguese pair that emerged smiling with Actual’s first league title in three years – Barca claimed the crown in every of these seasons.
Mourinho’s stint at Bernabeu got here to an finish the next season when Barcelona gained the title by 15 factors. It stays the largest successful margin within the competitors’s historical past.
What number of occasions have Actual Madrid and Benfica gained the UEFA Champions League?
Actual are the document winners of Europe’s premier membership competitors with 15 titles to their identify, the final coming in 2024.
Benfica have lifted the trophy on two events, and each of these got here in consecutive years.
In what was considered Benfica’s golden period, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the crew to wins towards Barcelona in 1961 and Actual Madrid in 1962.
A hat-trick from Hungary’s most interesting export, Ferenc Puskas, couldn’t save Actual, with Benfica seizing a 5-3 win that included a double from Eusebio.
Head-to-head
That is remarkably solely the fifth assembly between two of the largest golf equipment from Spain and Portugal.
Benfica edge the matches 3-1, with the primary assembly between the golf equipment coming within the last in Might 1962.
Benfica crew information
Benfica’s assault, which brought about so many issues of their final fixture towards Madrid, is near full power, with Vangelis Pavlidis primed to steer the road and Norwegian worldwide Andreas Schjelderup, who put two previous Los Blancos on January 28, able to play.
Mourinho will likely be with out key midfielder Fredrik Aursnes, who’s sidelined with an harm.
Alexander Bah (knee), Samuel Soares (muscle pressure) and Joao Veloso (shoulder) all stay unsure for the primary leg towards Madrid.
Benfica predicted beginning lineup (4-2-3-1)
Trubin (GK); Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Schjelderup, Sudakov; Pavlidis
Actual Madrid crew information
Mbappe is poised to return for Actual Madrid’s playoff conflict at Benfica after he took off the weekend La Liga fixture towards Actual Sociedad.
The supply of the crew’s prime scorer and greatest participant this season is good news for coach Alvaro Arbeloa, nevertheless it raises the query of whether or not Los Blancos lose an excessive amount of steadiness when each he and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior line up in assault collectively.
That downside is additional exacerbated when Jude Bellingham is accessible too, however the England worldwide is injured (leg) and won’t function towards Mourinho’s facet in Lisbon.
Madrid will likely be with out two starters, Asencio and Rodrygo, who’re suspended as a direct results of their final Champions League tussle towards Benfica within the league part finale.
Eder Militao will be part of Bellingham on the sidelines as he recovers from a tendon harm.
Actual Madrid predicted beginning lineup (4-2-3-1)
Courtois (GK); Carreras, Huijsen, Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold; Camavinga, Tchouameni; Valverde, Vinicius, Guler; Mbappe
When will the Champions League knockouts and last be performed?
The 2 legs of the spherical of 16 will likely be performed on March 10-11 and March 17-18.
After the quarterfinals and semifinals, the finale of this season’s Champions League will likely be staged at Puskas Enviornment in Budapest, Hungary. The sport will likely be performed on Might 30.
