Real Madrid vs Benfica - All to play for as Mourinho's Benfica battle Madrid in return leg
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
Real Madrid: Los Blancos aiming to protect a one-goal lead
Real Madrid got the revenge they were seeking against Benfica for their 4-2 defeat in the UEFA Champions League - league phase. In the first leg of the knockout playoffs on a Tuesday night, the Madrid side won 1-0 away.
Vinicius Junior scored the only goal in the 50th minute, taking his goal count to two goals. The Brazilian international has been a breath of fresh air in this competition as he has been directly involved in eight goals. With Kylian Mbappe out of contention for the second leg tie, all eyes will be on Junior, who has scored in four matches.
In that match, however, the numbers painted a different picture. They were expected to win by a wide margin. Alvaro Arbeloa's men dominated all aspects of the game. There were 16 shots registered at goal, with seven of those finding the target.
See how Madrid and Benfica fared statistically in the first leg:
| Benfica | Stats | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| 0.47 | Expected Goals (xG) | 0.89 |
| 42% | Ball possession | 58% |
| 10 | Total Shots | 16 |
| 3 | Shots on target | 7 |
| 80% (355/444) | Passes | 88% (549/624) |
| 4 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 3 | Corner kicks | 6 |
Los Blancos are at home this time around, and the assignment is quite simple: protect a 1-0 lead. The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu has been their stronghold as they head into Wednesday's tie, having won six consecutive matches across all competitions. Add to that three wins in four UCL games. Their record against Portuguese opposition inspires confidence, with four wins in their last five games.
Benfica: Can the Eagles keep their last-16 hopes alive?
Benfica were outplayed in front of their home crowd against Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout playoff. A 1-0 defeat was perhaps the least they deserved on the night. Before that result, the Portuguese giants had gone five matches without defeat across all competitions.
With the special one, Jose Mourinho, failing to guide his side to success, he will be hoping that the return leg is a turning point. However, his record in UCL knockouts is not one to be proud of. Mourinho has gone nine games without a win at this stage, recording five losses and four draws.
The 63-year-old head coach won't be available on the touchline after receiving a red card. This includes the exclusion of Gianluca Prestianni, who is suspended for the alleged racism towards Vinicius Junior in last week's tie against Real Madrid as mentioned in our Real Madrid vs Benfica prediction.
Despite this, the Eagles should have plenty of talent at their disposal to choose from for this crucial encounter. One to watch this Wednesday is the Greek international Vangelis Pavlidis, who has been involved in four goal involvements in this competition. In the league phase against Real Madrid, he played a crucial role in the team's 4-2 win, scoring once and providing one assist.
Benfica might have lost the previous matchup against Real Madrid 1-0, but that doesn't change the fact that the Portuguese giants have their number with three wins in five competitive encounters. Can they use this to their advantage and overturn a one-goal deficit?
