Benfica vs Real Madrid: Special One Meets His Past in UCL Knockout Playoffs Once More
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
Can Jose Mourinho put sentiment aside and humble Madrid?
Jose Mourinho's task in the UEFA Champions League is guiding his side - Benfica, to the last 16. He has a challenging opponent to face in the first leg of the knockout playoffs. That's against his former club, Real Madrid, which he managed for three seasons between 2010 and 2013.
During those years in charge of the Spanish giants, he led them to the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercup. Fast forward to the present, and he finds himself on the opposite dugout coaching Benfica.
The Special One is well aware of the threat posed by their opponents in this clash. However, for those familiar with him and his tactics, he is the kind of person who laughs in the face of challenges and tends to excel in big fixtures such as this one.
The 63-year-old joined Benfica the previous year. It was three weeks after his dismissal at Fenerbahce. Since his appointment, he has managed 31 matches and is averaging 2.03 points per game. His record reads W19-D6-L6 with a 61% win ratio. At Madrid, though, he had 71% win ratio, having managed 127 wins in 178 games.
The question is, can he put sentiment aside and humble a wounded Real Madrid side again?
Will the Eagles rise again against European giants?
Benfica have Real Madrid's number in the UEFA Champions League this season. The two sides met in the league phase, and the former came out on top in a 4-2 home victory. This was in the final league phase fixture.
Suprisingly the winning goal in that match was scored by Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin deep into stoppage time. They couldn't have asked for a better ending to their league phase campaign against this opponent in what was the first meeting between the two sides since 1965.
That result made a big difference as the Eagles secured the last knockout playoff spot in the league phase standings (24th). This also ensured that their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of this tournament were alive. They'll not want to take that only shot at redemption for granted.
The Portuguese giants may have gotten the better of Madrid, but they should not be too overconfident and lose sight of the ball in the first leg. This has to do with their unimpressive record against Spanish opposition in the UCL. Having faced teams from this bracket 15 times. Their record reads W4, D4, L7.
Real Madrid: Los Blancos eyeing revenge in the knockout playoffs
Real Madrid is a team on a revenge mission. The Spanish giants could've finished inside the top eight of the UEFA Champions League - league phase standings and secured direct qualification to the knockout stages. However, a 4-2 defeat against Benfica in Lisbon saw them miss out on that spot. Now, they have extra work to do on their road to the latter stages.
That shouldn't bother them much, as they are used to playing at this stage, as evidenced in the previous edition. They eliminated Manchester City in the knockout playoffs and will hope to replicate their past performance to come out on top once again. Find out what our experts have to say in our Benfica vs Real Madrid prediction for more insights into the match.
Los Blancos won five and lost three of their last eight league phase games. This saw them finish in ninth place in the standings and one measly point adrift of a top-eight finish.
Confidence should be high in the Real Madrid camp, having won their last three games, including a 4-1 home thrashing of Real Sociedad in La Liga, which moved them two points clear at the top in the standings.
Head coach Alvaro Arbelo, who had never coached at a senior level, now has a perfect record of five league wins since taking over from Xabi Alonso. In fact, he is just two wins away from matching former head coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo's record of seven wins in terms of the best start by a Real Madrid coach in the club’s history.
A Mbappe-nomenal night awaits in the UEFA Champions League
Kylian Mbappe has been truly outstanding for Real Madrid since joining the club two years ago. The Frenchman has played 90 games so far and has scored a whopping 82 goals. This season alone, he has scored 38 goals in 31 matches across all competitions.
The talisman has also been racking up ridiculous numbers in the UEFA Champions League. Having played seven games, the 27-year-old has rattled the net 13 times, making him the tournament's top scorer. Within touching distance, but not quite, is Harry Kane, who ranks second with eight goals.
Last time out, Mbappe scored two goals against this opponent in the final league phase fixture. There's no denying he will be on the scoreboard once again as he seeks to give his side an important first-leg advantage.
