Real Madrid play Benfica in Champions League playoff: Team news and lineups
Al Jazeera
All to know as Benfica host 15-time champion Real Madrid in the opening leg of football’s UEFA Champions League knockout phase.
Who: Benfica vs Real MadridWhat: UEFA Champions LeagueWhere: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, PortugalWhen: Tuesday, February 17 at 9pm (20:00 GMT)How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport has live text and photo coverage of the Benfica vs Real Madrid first-leg playoff.
The playoff phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) begins on Tuesday with some of Europe’s biggest names facing a crunch two-leg knockout series – none bigger perhaps than manager Jose Mourinho leading Benfica against his former club Real Madrid.
The two teams already have recent history in this year’s competition: on January 28, Benfica beat the Spanish giants in dramatic fashion with a last-minute header, sealing the Portuguese side’s place in the playoff.
The catastrophic defeat for Real meant they slipped out of the automatic qualifying positions for the round of 16 and were forced into the extra knockout phase.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a matchup that has so much riding on it, including some small personal pride for one of Real’s most successful coaches.
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All to know as Benfica host 15-time champion Real Madrid in the opening leg of football’s UEFA Champions League knockout phase.
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