Real Madrid vs Benfica live: Team news and line-ups from Champions League play-off

Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Ascenio, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Guler, Tchouameni; Camavinga, Gonzalo, Vinicius Jr

The line-ups will be released any time now, so here’s a reminder of the early team news for both sides…

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is suspended, while Alvaro Arbeloa is also without the injured Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos. Dean Huijsen is a doubt.

Manager Jose Mourinho will not be in the touchline on his return to the Bernabeu having been sent off during the first leg. Dodi Lukebakio could replace the suspended Gianluca Prestianni.

This is the sixth meeting between Real Madrid and Benfica in the European Cup/Champions League – although Madrid won the first leg of this tie, Benfica are one of two sides they have faced 5+ times in the competition and lost more games (3) than they’ve won (2), along with Milan (P16 W6 D3 L7).

These two sides will meet in the Champions League for a third consecutive game (MD8 of the group phase, first/second leg of the play-offs). It’s the first fixture in competition history to be played three times in a row in the same season.

Kylian Mbappe will miss Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off second leg with Benfica with injury.

Madrid are leading 1-0 after a fractious first leg in Lisbon which saw goalscorer Vinicius Jr accused Benfica’s Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni of racist abuse.

Prestianni has been suspended for one game – the second leg – pending an investigation by Uefa. The 20-year-old has denied racially abusing Vinicius and claimed to have been misheard.

Prestianni was seen holding his shirt over his mouth during a heated exchange with Madrid players following Vinicius’s second-half goal in Lisbon. The Brazilian winger rushed to the referee to report what he claimed was racist abuse.

Vinicius had an altercation with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni after scoring the only goal of the game and told the referee that he had been the subject of racist abuse. The match was then paused following Uefa’s three-step racism protocol.

The second leg of the Champions League knockout play-off tie is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday 25 February at the Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 7.30pm GMT. A live stream will be available via discovery+.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Guler; Vinicius, Mbappe.

Benfica XI: Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Aursnes; Lukebakio, Rafa, Schjelderup; Pavlidis.

Manager Jose Mourinho will not be in the touchline on his return to the Bernabeu having been sent off during the first leg. Dodi Lukebakio could replace the suspended Gianluca Prestianni.

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is suspended, while Alvaro Arbeloa is also without the injured Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos. Dean Huijsen is a doubt.