Benfica vs Real Madrid prediction 17.02.2026 | Champions League

Benfica return to Champions League action in high spirits after a hard-fought 2:1 win against Santa Clara last Friday. Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis grabbed the opener as Jose Mourinho's men secured a vital road victory. 

Since their famous 4:2 win against Real Madrid at the end of last month, Benfica have maintained solid form, picking up two wins and a draw from three Primeira Liga fixtures.

While now seven points behind league leaders Porto, Benfica remain unbeaten in 22 league games played this season. The Portuguese side also picked up wins in three of their last four UCL fixtures. Three of the hosts’ last four matches have seen both teams score, and given the attacking quality on show, along with the drama of their meeting last month, a similar outcome looks likely this week.

Legendary boss Mourinho has a handful of expected absentees this week. Alexander Bah has returned to training after a long-term cruciate ligament injury but is unlikely to feature, while Samuel Soares and João Veloso remain doubtful.

Fredrik Aursnes is set to miss out, and although Richard Rios is back in training following a dislocated shoulder, he is not expected to feature on Tuesday.

Real Madrid make the trip to Portugal with high confidence after a dominant 4:1 win against Real Sociedad last weekend. Gonzalo García and Federico Valverde were among the goals as Los Merengues eased to victory at the Bernabeu. 

Álvaro Arbeloa's side have responded well to their defeat against Benfica last month, with three successive La Liga victories collected in the past fortnight. 

Defensive vulnerabilities have been the biggest issue for Real this season. Arbeloa's side failed to keep a clean sheet in 12 of their last 16 matches. Eight of their 11 most recent games finished with both teams on the scoresheet. 

Interim boss Arbeloa has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe should return to the side after missing Saturday's win against Sociedad.