On Tuesday evening, February 17, 2026, the eyes of football fans will turn to the “Al Noor” Stadium in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where Benfica will host its Spanish counterpart, Real Madrid, in the first leg of the qualifying round for the round of sixteen of the Champions League, in an anticipated confrontation that carries with it motives of revenge and intense competition.
This match comes less than three weeks after the exciting confrontation between the two teams in the eighth round of the tournament, which ended with Benfica’s victory by four goals to two. That match witnessed a “crazy ending” when Benfica goalkeeper, Anatoly Trubin, managed to score a historic goal with his head in the 98th minute, taking advantage of the numerical deficiency in the ranks of Real Madrid, which completed the match with nine players after the expulsion of Rodrigo and Raul Asensio.
-Historical superiority: Benfica has a historical advantage over “Merengue”, as it won 3 out of 4 confrontations between the two teams, and scored 15 goals compared to 8 goals for Real Madrid.
-Mbappe’s brilliance: Despite doubts about his readiness, Kylian Mbappe leads the scene with a new record this season, as he scored 13 goals in 7 matches in the group stage.
-The French whistle: The European Union (UEFA) appointed French referee François Leixier to manage the match, an appointment that raised concern in Madrid due to the team’s “bad memories” with this referee.
Real Madrid is expected to enter the match relying on Courtois in goal, in addition to Vinicius Junior, Valverde and Camavinga, while Benfica is counting on its “top scorer” goalkeeper Tropin, captain Otamendi and Schilderup.
The start whistle for the match will sound at exactly eleven o’clock in the evening, Mecca and Doha time, and ten o’clock in the evening, Beirut and Cairo time, and it will be broadcast exclusively on “beIN SPORTS” channels.
