Who: Real Madrid vs Benfica
Content: Champions League play-offs, second leg
Location: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
Date and time: Wednesday 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Real Madrid hold a slim 1-0 lead over Benfica heading into the second leg of a Champions League play-off overshadowed by racism allegations.
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UEFA has suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni from Wednesday’s second leg for racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who scored the only goal in the first leg in Lisbon last week.
Meanwhile, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who is also suspended for the second leg, has come under fire for criticizing Vinicius for his passionate goal celebration.
The Portuguese side will therefore be expecting a particularly hostile reception at the Bernabéu as they look to overturn a one-goal deficit and advance to the last 16.
Courtois ‘disappointed’ with Mourinho’s response
“Racists are cowards above all else,” Vinicius wrote on social media after the match, while Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe supported his teammate, saying he had heard Prestiani call the winger a “monkey”.
The 20-year-old Benfica midfielder, who covered his mouth with his shirt during a confrontation with Vinicius, insisted he had not racially abused the Brazilian forward after his stunning goal at the Estadio da Luz.
Prestiani could miss at least 10 games if European football’s governing body finds that Vinicius was racially abused by Prestiani.
Mourinho weighed in on the controversy by calling Vinicius’ goal celebration disrespectful and claiming Benfica are not a racist club because their biggest icon, Eusebio, is black.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he disagreed with Mourinho’s words.
“At the end of the day, Mourinho is Mourinho. I think as a manager you always protect your club and what your players tell you,” Courtois said.
“The only thing I was a little disappointed about was taking advantage of Vini’s celebration. I don’t think Vini did anything wrong there,” he added.
“I don’t think a celebration can justify allegations of racism.”
Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu changes due to suspension
The Benfica manager has not set foot at the Santiago Bernabéu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013. He has not been allowed to sit in the dugout for the second leg of the play-offs since he was sent off for yelling abuse at the referee from the touchline when his team lost 1-0 in the first leg in Lisbon last week.
Mourinho said referee François Letexier had avoided playing Madrid players in the second leg who were at risk of suspension.
“I sat on the bench for 1400 games and he knew perfectly well who he could book and who he couldn’t book,” Mourinho complained bitterly.
“I can’t sit on the bench, I can’t go to the locker room, I can’t communicate with the team,” he added. “It’s tough for me, but my teammates and assistants are there. They’ll do their job.”
Benfica also said that Mourinho would not attend Tuesday’s pre-match press conference and that his assistant would take over.
Arbeloa says UEFA has a chance for a ‘tipping point’ on racism
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has called on UEFA to make the fight against racism more than just a slogan after the abuse allegations against Vinicius Junior.
“We have a unique opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday.
“We hope that UEFA, which has led the fight against racism in the past, will seize this opportunity to do more than just put up nice banners and slogans before games.”
Arbeloa said he believed Vinicius would improve at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday as the team, which has won the last 15 times, aims to advance to the last 16.
“Vinicius Jr. has always shown a lot of courage and a lot of character,” Arbeloa said. “That’s always his reaction, always has been, and I think that’s always going to be the case.
“He’s a fighter. He’s going to go out there tomorrow and have a great fight and continue to prove that he’s one of the best on the planet.”
direct confrontation
This is only the sixth time the big clubs from Spain and Portugal have met. Benfica won 3 games and Real Madrid won 2 games.
The two clubs also faced each other in the league stage in January, when Mourinho’s side overwhelmed his former club 4-2, giving Benfica a place and denying Madrid an automatic place in the last 16.
How many times have Madrid and Benfica won the Champions League?
Madrid have won 15 titles in Europe’s top club competition, their last in 2024.
Benfica have lifted the trophy twice so far, both times in consecutive years.
During what was considered to be Benfica’s golden era, Portuguese legend Eusebio was instrumental in the team’s victories over Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1962.
A hat-trick from Hungary’s greatest export, Ferenc Puskas, could not save Madrid, and Benfica won 5-3, thanks in part to a double from Eusebio.
Real Madrid team news
Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Eder Militão are all ruled out with injuries, while centre-back Dean Huisen is a big doubt after missing the 2-1 defeat at Osasuna at the weekend with a muscular problem.
Winger Rodrygo will be sidelined due to suspension, but will be doubtful anyway as he struggles to recover from a hamstring problem.
Raul Asensio has returned from suspension and is available again.
Vinicius Junior will start alongside Mbappe up front and will be looking to score in five consecutive games.
Expected starting lineup
Courtois (goalkeeper); Alexander-Arnold, Asensio, Rudiger, Carreras. Valverde, Güler, Choameni, Güler. Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Benfica team news
The only injury concern for the Portuguese side appears to be midfielder Joao Veloso, who will miss the game with a shoulder problem.
Richard Rios could replace the suspended Prestiani in midfield.
Benfica will be counting on Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis to top the team with 28 goals in all competitions this season.
Expected starting lineup:
Trubin (goalkeeper); Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl. Rios, Orsnes. Lukebakio, Rafa, Schelderap. Publidis
