Real Madrid head to Lisbon on Wednesday night for their final fixture of the Champions League group stage, where they will take on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.
The Spanish giants arrive in Portugal knowing this closing game of the phase could prove decisive for their route into the knockout rounds.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side comes into the contest in excellent rhythm after stringing together three consecutive wins in all competitions. Their form was underlined by a 6-1 dismantling of AS Monaco in Europe, a match in which Kylian Mbappe struck twice to take his tally to 11 goals in this season’s Champions League.
A few days earlier, Real Madrid had also earned a controlled 2-0 away victory at Villarreal in La Liga, with Mbappé again registering a brace to continue his stunning scoring run.
In the league-phase standings of the UCL, Real Madrid occupy third place with 15 points from seven matches. A victory in Lisbon would secure automatic passage to the last 16, removing any doubt about their progression.
Anything less than three points, however, would leave their fate in the hands of results elsewhere.
Real Madrid team news
Defensively, Arbeloa must again navigate a series of absences, even if he has been boosted by the return of Aurélien Tchouameni following a suspension in domestic competition.
Real Madrid remain without Trent Alexander-Arnold (hamstring), Antonio Rüdiger (knee), Eder Militão (tendon) and Ferland Mendy (ankle), a cluster of injuries that limits their options at the back. There is some encouragement, though, with Alexander-Arnold and Rüdiger both making progress in their rehabilitation and being tentatively targeted for comebacks in time for the Rayo Vallecano clash on 1 February.
Since stepping into the job, Arbeloa has fostered momentum and clarity, opting for a 4-3-3 shape that prioritises control of space, structured pressing and sound defensive positioning. At the tip of that framework is Mbappé, who has scored 11 times in just six Champions League appearances this term, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for goals in a single league phase of the competition.
Real Madrid predicted lineup
Possible Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius.
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday, 28th January.
How to watch Benfica vs Real Madrid?
For supporters in the United Kingdom, the game will be shown live on TNT Sports Extra, with coverage also available via streaming on Discovery+.
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