Real Madrid take on the visitors Benfica in the second leg of UEFA Champions League round of 1/16-finals. First leg result: 1-0. The match will be played on Wednesday, February 25th at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid).
Real Madrid have always been a symbol of footballing success. Failures are taken extremely painfully here. Last spring, Florentino Pérez even parted ways with Ancelotti for the second time. Cooperation with Xabi Alonso lasted only half a year — the defeat to Barcelona in the Super Cup became the breaking point. However, his successor Arbeloa managed to be eliminated from the Copa del Rey in his very first match — the giant lost to Albacete. In La Liga, they have not looked better than the Blaugrana either. All the more reason to seek success in the Champions League. There, after a strong start, they began alternating wins and defeats from November onwards. Even in January, after a 6–1 win over Monaco, they suffered a 2–4 loss to Portuguese opposition, which led to the current confrontation. Recently, Real have shown greater focus in European fixtures, often raising their intensity on big nights. Their experience in decisive matches remains a key factor at this stage.
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Benfica are no less motivated. The Eagles were battling Sporting CP for the title last season. Having won the League Cup a year ago, they ultimately could not prevent their neighbors from securing a domestic double in the spring. The new season initially seemed promising: they beat the Lions in the Super Cup, eliminated Feyenoord and Fenerbahce in qualification, and started the Primeira with victories. But after a limp 2–3 defeat to Qarabag, the coach was replaced. Frankly, Mourinho has not fully justified expectations in Lisbon either: Benfica exited the domestic cups and fell significantly behind Porto in the league. In the Champions League under him, they initially only suffered defeats. Yet they ended 2025 with wins over Ajax and Napoli, and in January, after losing to Juventus, they needed a two-goal victory against the Galacticos — and secured the required margin in stoppage time. Last week, however, they conceded to Vinícius and responded only with heated disputes. Benfica’s recent away performances have been inconsistent, especially against elite opposition. Still, their ability to deliver in decisive European moments keeps them firmly in contention.
After a long pause without official encounters, the giants will face each other for the third consecutive time in European competition. It is unlikely that the Royal Club will perform worse than they did away. It is worth backing their victory with a -1 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win with -1.0 handicap.
