Real Madrid will look to punch their ticket to the Champions League round of 16 with a win over Benfica on Wednesday night in Lisbon, where the team famously claimed La Décima.
The 15-time European champions are slowly finding their form under new boss Álvaro Arbeloa, stringing together three consecutive victories in which the team scored a combined 10 goals and conceded only one. Los Blancos’ 6–1 rout over Monaco in their penultimate league phase match helped bring a swagger back to what was a floundering side.
The Champions League victory put Real Madrid third in the league phase standings and firmly in control of their own destiny. Three more points against José Mourinho’s Benfica and the Spanish giants will bypass the knockout phase playoffs and solidify their place in the last 16.
Match Snapshot
- 🕒 Kick-off time: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
- 📍 Location: Estádio da Luz
- 🏆 Competition: Champions League
- 📊 Recent form: LLWWW
Team News
- ⚠️ Key injuries, absentees: Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-3-3
Real Madrid made the trip to Lisbon without long-term absentees Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy. Raúl Asencio, who is playing through a tibia injury, and Dean Huijsen will continue to partner in central defense amid the team’s defensive injury woes.
Alexander-Arnold and Rüdiger, though, have begun partial training with the group and are expected to be nearing a return to the pitch. Kylian Mbappé and Álvaro Carreras were also not full participants in the build-up to Wednesday’s fixture, but despite training individually, they are both expected to get the nod.
Aurélien Tchouaméni, meanwhile, will assume his place in the midfield after missing out against Villarreal due to a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation in La Liga.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Villarreal
GK: Thibaut Courtois—The Belgian goalkeeper is eyeing back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since October.
RB: Federico Valverde—Valverde might be counting down the days until Alexander-Arnold returns, but even he cannot deny how well he plays at right back.
CB: Raúl Asencio—Most would never know Asencio has been playing through injury. The center back faces a big test, though, going against Vangelis Pavlidis, who has scored 27 goals this season.
CB: Dean Huijsen—Finally fully fit, Huijsen is beginning to show glimpses of his previous top-level form from his time at Bournemouth. Expect the center back to be Real Madrid’s main target on set pieces.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—After missing out against Monaco due to suspension, Carreras returns for the league phase finale. The summer signing has hardly put a foot wrong in defense over the last three months.
CM: Arda Güler—Güler’s playmaking and set piece delivery earn him a place in Los Blancos’ midfield, though he still struggles in a deeper role, especially when put under pressure.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The Frenchman reclaims his place in Arbeloa’s XI after serving his one-match La Liga ban at the weekend. Eduardo Camavinga retreats to the bench.
CM: Jude Bellingham—After a thankless outing against Villarreal in which he had to cover immense ground and pitch in defensively, Bellingham will hope for a bit more freedom in the attack on Wednesday.
RW: Franco Mastantuono—The club is clearly being cautious with Rodrygo’s return from injury, leaving the door open for Mastantuono to make his third consecutive start on the right wing.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Already with 11 goals to his name in the Champions League this season, Mbappé needs just one more to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goals scored in a single group stage/league phase campaign.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
- Benfica vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
- Predicted Lineup For Benfica vs Real Madrid In Must-Win Champions League Game
- Transfer Rumors: Palmer Wants £150 Million Man Utd Move; Vinicius Jr Sets Real Madrid Contract Deadline
- Transcript: Álvaro Arbeloa Praises Jose Mourinho Ahead Of Benfica vs Real Madrid
- Jose Mourinho Gives His View On Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid XI vs. Benfica: Mbappe Chasing History—Injury News, Lineup Prediction.
