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)
How you can observe: Al Jazeera Sport has live textual content and photograph 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 going through a crunch two-leg knockout sequence – none larger maybe than supervisor Jose Mourinho main Benfica in opposition to his former membership Actual Madrid.
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The 2 groups have already got current historical past on this 12 months’s competitors: on January 28, Benfica beat the Spanish giants in dramatic trend with a last-minute header, sealing the Portuguese aspect’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 have a look at a matchup that has a lot driving on it, together with some small private satisfaction for one in all 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 computerized entry by way of to the following spherical.
In a rare league part finale, the Portuguese aspect 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 objective wanted to sneak into the playoff spherical on objective 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 remaining twist, Madrid had been handed a troublesome Champions League playoff draw in opposition to Benfica, the very group 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 mentioned the star-studded aspect “deserve” to be of their present scenario as a result of they weren’t constant sufficient to acquire an computerized qualification spot.
“The issue is we aren’t constant in our play. We’ve to repair that. You’ll be able to’t have someday [playing well] and one other not, a champion group doesn’t try this,” Mbappe advised reporters.
“We should be on this scenario. Benfica had been higher. Now we’ve to play two extra playoff video games. It hurts to should play these. We needed to have the time in February to work on our recreation.”
Mbappe mentioned he couldn’t put his finger on a transparent cause why Madrid performed so poorly in opposition to Benfica on January 28.
“I believe it’s a little bit of every 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,” mentioned the French celebrity, who scored twice within the defeat.
UCL victory in opposition to 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 objective distinction to maneuver them into the playoff spots.
The 2-time winners’ outstanding 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 report 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, however 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 instances have Actual Madrid and Benfica gained the UEFA Champions League?
Actual are the report 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 thought to be Benfica’s golden period, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the group to wins in opposition to 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 remaining in Might 1962.
Benfica group information
Benfica’s assault, which induced so many issues of their final fixture in opposition to Madrid, is near full energy, with Vangelis Pavlidis primed to guide 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 in opposition to Madrid.
Benfica predicted beginning lineup (4-2-3-1)
Trubin (GK); Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Schjelderup, Sudakov; Pavlidis
Actual Madrid group information
Mbappe is poised to return for Actual Madrid’s playoff conflict at Benfica after he took off the weekend La Liga fixture in opposition to Actual Sociedad.
The provision of the group’s prime scorer and finest participant this season is good news for coach Alvaro Arbeloa, however it raises the query of whether or not Los Blancos lose an excessive amount of stability when each he and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior line up in assault collectively.
That downside is additional exacerbated when Jude Bellingham is on the market too, however the England worldwide is injured (leg) and won’t function in opposition to Mourinho’s aspect 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 in opposition to Benfica within the league part finale.
Eder Militao will be a 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 remaining 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 Area in Budapest, Hungary. The sport will likely be performed on Might 30.
