Who: Benfica vs Actual Madrid
What: UEFA Champions League
The place: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
When: Wednesday, January 27 at 8pm (20:00 GMT)
The best way to observe: We’ll have all of the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT upfront of our textual content commentary stream.
The league part of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) reaches its finale on Wednesday with a few of Europe’s greatest names dealing with crunch ties – no greater maybe than Jose Mourinho main Benfica in opposition to his former membership Actual Madrid.
Advisable Tales
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Either side are in want of a win if they’re obtain their contrasting goals at this stage, with Benfica dealing with elimination from competing on the continent this season.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a have a look at a tie that has a lot using on it, together with some small private delight for certainly one of Actual’s most profitable coaches.
What are Actual Madrid’s Champions League possibilities?
Actual have endured a turbulent season, with their coach Xabi Alonso sacked after solely seven months in cost, however a critical problem can nonetheless be mounted for a Spanish and European double.
Los Blancos discover themselves scorching on the heels of Barcelona in La Liga, having briefly claimed high spot after they beat Villarreal on Saturday, just for their rivals to reclaim the summit on Sunday.
Within the Champions League, a draw could also be sufficient to safe their computerized passage to the final 16, however solely a win will assure it.
What are Benfica’s Champions League possibilities?
A win is an absolute should for Benfica, nevertheless it will not be sufficient to safe a spot within the playoffs given the Portuguese big’s tough run this season.
The Lisbon-based membership at present sit in twenty ninth place, out of the 36 competing groups, two factors from claiming one of many 16 playoff spots.
A minus 4 purpose distinction may even hamper Benfica as they search to climb above 5 groups to keep away from elimination from the competitors.
The home league season has seen them go unbeaten thus far, however they’ve drawn six extra video games than leaders Porto, who’re 10 factors clear and equally unbeaten.
How does Champions League qualification work from the league part?
The highest eight groups routinely qualify for the spherical of 16; the next 16 groups enter two-legged playoffs.
The underside 12 groups, of which Benfica are at present one, drop out of all continental competitors this season.
Actual are at present third with 15 factors, however the 10 groups instantly under all of them have the prospect to achieve 16 factors – which may see Los Blancos slide dramatically in the event that they lose, whereas a draw will go away them sweating on other results.
When was Jose Mourinho supervisor of Actual Madrid?
The previous Chelsea, Inter Milan and Manchester United supervisor was in cost at Actual for 3 seasons following his appointment in Might 2010.
It adopted big success at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, the place he gained the Champions League with the previous and the latter, whereas additionally securing a primary top-flight title in 40 years for Chelsea.
Mourinho solely took over at Benfica in September, changing Bruno Lage as supervisor after a gradual begin to the season.
What was Jose Mourinho’s file at Actual Madrid and what did he win?
Mourinho completed second to Barcelona in his first season in cost, regardless of Cristiano Ronaldo main the La Liga scoring charts with 40 objectives that season.
Lionel Messi smashed in 50 objectives the next season, nevertheless it was Actual’s Portuguese pair that emerged smiling with Actual’s first league title in three years – Barca claimed the crown in every of these seasons.
Mourinho’s stint at Bernabeu got here to an finish the next season when Barcelona gained the title by 15 factors – it stays the most important successful margin within the competitors’s historical past.
What number of occasions have Actual Madrid and Benfica gained the Champions League?
Actual are the file winners of Europe’s premier membership competitors with 15 titles to their title. The final coming in 2024.
Benfica have lifted the trophy on two events, and each of these got here in consecutive years.
In what was thought to be Benfica’s golden period, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the workforce to wins in opposition to Barcelona in 1961, and Actual Madrid in 1962.
A hat-trick from Hungary’s most interesting export, Ferenc Puskas, couldn’t save Actual, with Benfica working out 5-3 winners – which included a double from Eusebio.
When did Actual Madrid final face Benfica within the Champions League?
The 2 European giants haven’t met since March 17, 1965, when Actual gained 2-1 in Madrid.
It was not sufficient to overturn their knockout tie after Benfica claimed the primary leg 5-1 in Lisbon three weeks earlier.
Head-to-head
That is staggeringly solely the fourth assembly between two of the most important golf equipment from Spain and Portugal.
Benfica edge the matches 2-1, with the primary assembly between the golf equipment coming within the remaining in Might 1962.
Benfica workforce information
Alexander Bah, Samuel Soares, Dodi Lukebakio and Henrique Araujo all stay absent by harm. Richard Rios is near a return, however this match might come too quickly.
Sidny Lopes Cabral and Rafa Silva, who each arrived within the January switch window, are ineligible to function.
Benfica predicted beginning lineup (4-2-3-1)
Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Aursnes, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Barreiro, Sudakov; Pavlidis
Actual Madrid workforce information
Actual Madrid welcome again Aurelien Tchouameni, who sat out Saturday’s win in opposition to Villarreal attributable to suspension.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s thigh, Antonio Rudiger’s knee, and Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy’s hamstrings imply the Spaniards are mild throughout the backline.
Actual Madrid predicted beginning lineup (4-3-3)
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius
