Real Madrid to Face Benfica in UEFA Champions
League Showdown

Madrid, 24 Feb
2026 (ONA) — Spanish giants Real Madrid will welcome Portuguese opponents
Benfica tomorrow (Wednesday) for the decisive second leg of the UEFA Champions
League Round of 16 playoffs, with the Santiago Bernabéu poised to witness the
sport clash.

Real Madrid
carries a slender advantage into the home fixture following a hard-fought 1-0
victory in Lisbon, where Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior delivered the
decisive strike in the 50th minute of an emotionally charged encounter.

The first leg
was overshadowed by allegations of racist abuse directed at Vinícius, prompting
UEFA to launch a formal investigation the following day. European football’s
governing body is considering substantial sanctions against the young Benfica
player implicated in the incident, adding an extra dimension of tension to
tomorrow’s return fixture.

Benfica, now
under the stewardship of former Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, draws
confidence from historical precedent. The Portuguese tactician orchestrated a
memorable 4-2 triumph over his former club in Lisbon during the group stage, a
result that secured Benfica’s narrow qualification and demonstrated their
capacity to unsettle the Spanish giants on their own soil.

However, statistics favour the hosts.
Benfica’s away form in this season’s competition has been notably poor, with
the Portuguese side securing only one victory in four group-stage matches on
foreign soil. Mourinho must overcome this concerning trend if his squad is to
overturn the deficit and progress to the quarterfinals at the expense of the
record 15-time European champions.

— Ends/Khalid