Real Madrid Vs Benfica LIVE: Team News, Lineups and Racism Row Overshadowing Champions League Playoff

Real Madrid Vs Benfica arrives with fresh disciplinary developments and a tight scoreline: Real Madrid carry a 1-0 lead from the first leg after Vinícius Júnior’s strike at Estádio da Luz, while Benfica face the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu amid a provisional UEFA ban for Gianluca Prestianni and the suspension of José Mourinho from the touchline. These developments shape a high-stakes Champions League playoff where atmosphere, absences and off-field controversy matter as much as tactics.

Real Madrid Vs Benfica: Match setting and stakes

The match is the second leg of a Champions League playoff tie taking place at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday at 9pm (20: 00 GMT). Real Madrid enter with a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg and the winners will advance toward confirmation of the round of 16 as the knockout playoff rounds conclude this evening alongside three other fixtures.

Team news and absentees

Real Madrid face a list of high-profile absentees. Kylian Mbappé was not named to the matchday squad after aggravating a pre-existing knee injury in training this week. Jude Bellingham, Dean Huijsen, Dani Ceballos and Éder Militão are sidelined, and Rodrygo is suspended. Benfica travel hoping to overturn the one-goal deficit but will do so without Gianluca Prestianni, who has been provisionally banned by UEFA for the second leg.

Starting lineups

Teams were named for the encounter and read as follows.

• Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Trent, Asencio, Rüdiger, Carreras, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, García, Vinícius Jr
• Benfica XI: Trubin; Aursnes, Pavlidis, Dedić, Barreiro, Ríos, Schjelderup, Dahl, Rafa Silva, Otamendi, Tomás Araújo

First-leg controversy and disciplinary fallout

The first leg in Lisbon was overshadowed by an allegation of racist abuse made by Vinícius Júnior, who scored the match’s only goal. Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, a 20-year-old Argentine who hid his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation, denies the claim but has been suspended from the second leg by UEFA and faces the possibility of missing at least 10 games if further disciplinary findings confirm racial abuse. José Mourinho was sent off late in the first leg for protests on the touchline and will not be in the dugout for the return; he has criticized Vinícius’s celebration and defended Benfica’s claim that the club is not racist, citing Eusebio as an example.

Reactions and internal dynamics

Alvaro Arbeloa has publicly praised Vinícius Júnior’s character and strength amid the controversy. Kylian Mbappé backed his teammate and said he had heard a racial slur directed at the winger. Vinícius posted that “racists are above all cowards” after the first-leg encounter. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has disagreed with Mourinho’s criticism of the celebration and expressed that the celebration did not justify alleged racism. Mourinho, barred from the bench, has said he cannot sit on the bench, cannot go to the dressing room and cannot communicate with the team, noting frustration over perceived refereeing decisions in the tie and suggesting the match official was selective in bookings.

Early match minutes and atmosphere

The opening minutes reflected a charged atmosphere. At 1 minute Benfica made the first foray forward but a tackle from Carreras stopped Dedić. By 2 minutes Vinícius was loudly booed by travelling fans. At 3 minutes a marauding run from Otamendi created a shooting chance for Ríos that was blocked. At 4 minutes Dedić cut in and found Schjelderup, whose cross was blocked by Alexander-Arnold and gathered by Courtois. At 7 minutes Vinícius combined with Güler to get in behind but was stopped by an uncompromising Otamendi tackle; Vinícius appealed, VAR investigated and the decision stood. A banner in the stands displayed the message “No to racism, ” underlining how the off-field issues have become central to the fixture’s narrative.

These elements — a slender lead, significant absences, a provisional ban, a suspended manager and charged early moments — mean this Champions League playoff second leg will be shaped as much by its context as by what unfolds on the pitch. Details remain subject to change as the match progresses and disciplinary processes continue.