Real Madrid vs Benfica: Predicted Line-ups as Mbappé Fitness Doubt Clouds Bernabéu Showdown
Real Madrid host Benfica in the Champions League play-off second leg with a slender 1-0 lead, but Álvaro Arbeloa faces a mounting injury headache.
Real Madrid welcome Benfica to the Bernabéu on Wednesday night looking to protect a narrow 1-0 first-leg advantage — but Álvaro Arbeloa could really do with a few less things to worry about right now.
The Mbappé Question Nobody Can Answer
The big one, obviously, is Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman has been struggling with his right knee again, and Madrid will be sweating on his fitness right up until kick-off. Whether he starts, comes off the bench, or misses out entirely is genuinely unclear — and that uncertainty alone is enough to give any manager a headache, let alone one already dealing with a proper pile-up in the treatment room.
Arbeloa’s Injury Nightmare
Mbappé aside, Arbeloa is already without a serious chunk of his squad:
- Huijsen – injured
- Militão – injured
- Bellingham – injured
- Ceballos – injured
- Rodrygo – suspended
Five players out, and your best attacker a major doubt. Lovely stuff. The silver lining — if you can call it that — is that all those absences actually make the line-up a lot easier to predict. There’s not much room for tinkering when your options are this limited.
How Madrid Are Expected to Line Up
With the squad as it is, the probable XI looks something like this:
Courtois; Trent, Rüdiger, Asencio, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Camavinga, Güler; Vinicius, Gonzalo
Asencio and Gonzalo are the two changes from the first leg in Lisbon — both stepping in due to necessity rather than tactical choice. It’s a makeshift-ish setup, but there’s still plenty of quality in there if they can stay switched on.
Mourinho’s Benfica Come With One Forced Change
José Mourinho — yes, that José Mourinho, back in the Champions League and absolutely loving the spotlight — isn’t planning too many alterations from the side that held their own at Da Luz. The one enforced change is the absence of Prestianni through suspension, with Lukébakio expected to come in and fill that spot.
Trubin; Dedic, Otamendi, T. Araújo, Dahl; Aursnes, Barreiro; Lukébakio, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis
Otamendi marshalling the backline, Pavlidis up top — Benfica are no mugs, and Mourinho will fancy his chances of nicking something at the Bernabéu.
What’s at Stake
Madrid’s 1-0 lead from the first leg is far from comfortable — one Benfica goal and suddenly it’s squeaky bum time. With so many key players missing, this is one of those nights where the Bernabéu crowd might genuinely need to be the extra man. The tie is very much alive, and if Mbappé doesn’t make it, Madrid will need someone else to step up in a big way.
Should be a proper European night. The sort of match that reminds you why this competition is the dog’s dinner of club football.