Real Madrid vs Benfica prediction 25.02.2026 | Champions League
Real Madrid
Kick off:
Date:
Benfica
1
1.49
X
5.08
2
6.70
Contents
- Competition: Champions League, 1/16 Finals, 2nd Leg
- Date: Wednesday, 25th February, 2026
- Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
- Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid)
Last week, Real Madrid secured a 1:0 win over Benfica in the first leg of the 1/16 Finals, a match followed by controversy over (possible) racial comments towards Vinicius Júnior and Mourinho's red card. Now, we are set for an exciting second leg in Spain at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Los Blancos came to this game following a surprising 2:1 loss against Osasuna, while Benfica won their last game 3:0 over AVS.
Let's break down the game and find the best possible bet for this Champions League tie.
Real Madrid vs Benfica Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Benfica
0 : 1
Real Madrid
Champions League
-
Benfica
4 : 2
Real Madrid
Champions League
-
Benfica
5 : 2
Real Madrid
Club Friendlies 1
In the first leg, Real Madrid won 1:0. Los Blancos were a better team and deservedly won the game. However, despite being a better team, we cannot really say they created great goal-scoring chances. Interestingly, these teams met this season in the league phase, with Benfica winning 4:2 in a match that secured their place in the 1/16 Finals.
Before those two H2H games, these two teams had only one more (friendly) duel in 2012, with Benfica winning 5:2.
Real Madrid team overview
Even though Real Madrid are close to securing a place in the 1/8 Finals of the Champions League and are only one point away from the top spot in La Liga, we cannot really say Los Blancos have been dominant, at least by their standards. A loss to Osasuna in the last round, getting knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete, and also a loss to Benfica in the Champions League (league phase) are proof of that. That loss to Benfica pushed them to play an additional duel in the knockout phase. Still, we cannot really say that the season has been bad, considering they are on the brink of securing the next phase of the CL and are only one point away from the top spot in La Liga.
After a 2:1 loss to Osasuna, coach Álvaro Arbeloa spoke to the media. He said it wasn't a good game for them and that the team can play much better. The coach said they lacked speed and didn't move the ball quickly enough. The coach urged the squad not to let the defeat affect them much.
Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao, and Rodrygo missed the previous game and should remain sidelined for the second duel as well. Additionally, starting central defender Dean Huijsen missed the last game against Osasuna due to a muscle injury and is expected to remain sidelined.
Last matches of Real Madrid
-
Osasuna
2 : 1
Real Madrid
La Liga
-
Benfica
0 : 1
Real Madrid
Champions League
-
Real Madrid
4 : 1
Real Sociedad
La Liga
-
Valencia
0 : 2
Real Madrid
La Liga
-
Real Madrid
2 : 1
Rayo Vallecano
La Liga
Real Madrid lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Thibaut Courtois
Defenders
-
12
Trent Alexander-Arnold
-
22
Antonio Rüdiger
-
17
Raúl Asencio
-
18
Álvaro Carreras
Midfielders
-
8
Federico Valverde
-
15
Arda Güler
-
14
Aurélien Tchouaméni
-
6
Eduardo Camavinga
Forwards
-
7
Vinicius Junior
-
10
Kylian Mbappé
Benfica team overview
Benfica, a 38-time Portuguese champion, finished the last season trophyless. This season, the Eagles do not have a great chance of changing that, despite adding Jose Mourinho in mid-September. The Eagles were eliminated from the Taca de Portugal Quarter Finals and the League Cup Semi-Finals, and are sitting in 3rd place in Liga Portugal, seven points behind the first-placed FC Porto. However, if they could advance to the Champions League and knock out RM, that would greatly improve the picture of their season.
Unfortunately, for the second leg, the squad will be without coach Mourinho after his red card in the previous leg.
After a 3:0 over AVS in the previous game, coach Jose Mourinho spoke to the media. He said it was a good win, saying they controlled the game and deserved an even bigger victory. When asked about the controversy surrounding the potential racial abuse of Vinicius Junior in the last Champions League game, the coach declined to comment due to an ongoing UEFA investigation.
Last matches of Benfica
-
Benfica
3 : 0
AVS
Liga Portugal
-
Benfica
0 : 1
Real Madrid
Champions League
-
Santa Clara
1 : 2
Benfica
Liga Portugal
-
Benfica
2 : 1
Alverca
Liga Portugal
-
Tondela
0 : 0
Benfica
Liga Portugal
Benfica lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Anatoliy Trubin
Defenders
-
17
Amar Dedić
-
30
Nicolás Otamendi
-
44
Tomás Araújo
-
26
Samuel Dahl
Midfielders
-
18
Leandro Barreiro
-
27
Rafa Silva
-
8
Fredrik Aursnes
Forwards
-
11
Dodi Lukebakio
-
14
Vangelis Pavlidis
-
21
Andreas Schjelderup
Prediction
In the first leg, Real Madrid completely controlled the game and eventually won 1:0. Also, despite having mixed results this season, Los Blancos were amazing at home. They won 14 of 16 home games, while covering the -1.5 AH spread on eight occasions, mostly of those in recent games.
Meanwhile, Benfica won only two of the past six road games across competitions. They also struggled on the road in the Champions League (league phase), losing three times in four matches.
Considering all the above, we believe Los Blancos will continue their dominance at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, extend their home winning streak to seven, and hopefully win by a two-goal margin.
3 Reasons why Real Madrid should win and cover the -1 AH spread
- Real Madrid won the first leg 1:0 in Portugal
- Real Madrid won six home games in a row
- Benfica lost three of four road games in the CL league phase
Main prediction Real Madrid - Benfica
AH1 (-1)
Best Odds:
Megapari
1.69
Real Madrid vs Benfica standings in Champions League
| League Stage | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 23 - 4 | +19 | 24 |
| 2 | FC Bayern München | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 22 - 8 | +14 | 21 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 - 8 | +12 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 - 7 | +10 | 17 |
| 5 | FC Barcelona | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 22 - 14 | +8 | 16 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 - 10 | +7 | 16 |
| 7 | Sporting CP | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 - 11 | +6 | 16 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 - 9 | +6 | 16 |
| 9 | Real Madrid | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 21 - 12 | +9 | 15 |
| 10 | Inter | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 - 7 | +8 | 15 |
| 11 | Paris Saint Germain | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 21 - 11 | +10 | 14 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 - 7 | +10 | 14 |
| 13 | Juventus | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14 - 10 | +4 | 13 |
| 14 | Atlético Madrid | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 - 15 | +2 | 13 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 - 10 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 - 14 | -1 | 12 |
| 17 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 - 17 | +2 | 11 |
| 18 | Olympiacos F.C. | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 - 14 | -4 | 11 |
| 19 | Club Brugge | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 - 17 | -2 | 10 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 - 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | Monaco | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 - 14 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabağ | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 - 21 | -8 | 10 |
| 23 | Bodø / Glimt | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14 - 15 | -1 | 9 |
| 24 | Benfica | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 - 12 | -2 | 9 |
| 25 | Olympique Marseille | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 - 14 | -3 | 9 |
| 26 | Pafos FC | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 - 11 | -3 | 9 |
| 27 | Union Saint-Gilloise | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 - 17 | -9 | 9 |
| 28 | PSV | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 - 16 | 0 | 8 |
| 29 | Athletic Club | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 - 14 | -5 | 8 |
| 30 | Napoli | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 - 15 | -6 | 8 |
| 31 | FC København | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 - 21 | -9 | 8 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 - 21 | -13 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 - 21 | -11 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Praha | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 - 19 | -14 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 - 18 | -13 | 1 |
| 36 | Kairat | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 - 22 | -15 | 1 |