PREVIEW: Benfica look to surprise Real Madrid again in playoff round first leg | OneFootball

Real Madrid visit Benfica for the first leg of the Champions League playoff round just weeks after the Portuguese side’s surprise victory denied Los Blancos automatic qualification to the round of 16 at the Estadio da Luz.

The hosts made the playoffs on goal difference after finishing 24th in the league phase, courtesy of their barnstorming 4-2 win over Madrid with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin heading home in the dying minutes to close out a classic.

With three wins and five losses in eight games, Jose Mourinho’s side have been inconsistent but have shown just enough quality to stay in the competition and have gone unbeaten in their last five league outings, winning four.

Their latest encouraging result, a 2-1 win at Santa Clara, has given the team a confidence boost before this important match.

The home crowd could give Benfica a genuine advantage with the energy they bring, while Álvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid have sometimes struggled away in Europe.

Benfica scored 10 goals and conceded 12 in the league phase, showing they’ve attacked well but are leaky in defense – all of their last five Champions League games have ended with a winner, so draws are rare for them.

But the triumph over Madrid in the final round of the league phase for As Águias was their best moment in Europe this season, proving they can take advantage of the top team’s defensive weaknesses and be competitive.

They will try to repeat that performance and get a good result in the first leg.

Benfica might be missing several players, with Alexander Bah back in training after a long knee injury, but he may not be ready yet.

Samuel Soares could miss the game with a muscle problem, and Fredrik Aursnes is also expected to be out.

Joao Veloso’s condition remains uncertain, and even though Richard Rios has returned to training after a shoulder injury, he probably will not play.

Much like their opponents, Madrid arrive in Lisbon in a confident mood given their form in La Liga – picking up four of their last five games, including a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad where Vinícius Júnior bagged a brace.

However, their European campaign has been tougher. Madrid finished ninth with 15 points from eight games, winning five and losing three.

And two wins and three losses in their last five Champions League games is below their usual standard.

Madrid’s earlier loss to Benfica showed their defensive issues on the transition, which Arbeloa’s team need to keep in mind if they are to avoid a repeat of their damaging loss three weeks ago.

Arbeloa could employ a more careful approach in Lisbon, aiming to exact more control on the tie – especially with so much at stake.

When teams are evenly matched, their ability to control the game and make the most of key moments can be decisive.

If Benfica leave gaps in defense, Madrid – who often do well in high-pressure matches like this – have the quality to exploit them and possibly take charge before the second leg.

Kylian Mbappé, who missed the win over Sociedad, is now fit and could play, but Raul Asencio is suspended after being shown a second yellow card in the final league phase clash.

Rodrygo is also suspended, having been handed a two-match ban handed out by UEFA for directing “insulting and abusive language” at the match officials, a costly mistake that means he will miss both legs of the play-off.

Madrid are also without England international Jude Bellingham, who is out with a hamstring injury, and Eder Militao is still recovering from a tendon problem.

Possible Benfica lineup: Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Possible Real Madrid lineup: Courtois; Carreras, Huijsen, Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde; Vinicius, Mbappe, Guler