The last time Real Madrid visited Estadio da Luz, they left with a 5-1 defeat. This time, a Los Blancos side chasing a top-eight finish travels there again, only this time, to face a Benfica side battling to secure a playoff spot.
It's UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday, January 28, as Real Madrid travel to Estadio da Luz to face a Benfica side needing a victory to keep qualification hopes alive. Eagles boss Jose Mourinho will be aiming for a famous win against his former club.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Benfica: 29th in the 36-team league phase table, two points adrift of the top 24.
🔸 Real Madrid: Third in the league phase table with 13 points from 7 matches.
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Real Madrid have won five of their seven matches in the Champions League this season.
🔥 Real Madrid have won eight of their last 10 UEFA meetings with Portuguese opposition.
🔥 Benfica have lost five of their six league phase matches this campaign.
🔥 While Real Madrid leads the historical H2H battle, Benfica's last win over Madrid was a 5-1 victory at Da Luz in their only previous home meeting.
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams 🔥
🔴Benfica | Form: L🔴L🔴L🔴W🟢W🟢L🔴:
Despite being 29th in the table, Jose Mourinho's side can take heart from a strong 4-0 home win in the Primeira Liga at the weekend.
However, they have lost three of their last four matches across all competitions and with qualification hopes hanging by a thread, they will need a perfect result and help from elsewhere to reach the playoffs.
⚪Real Madrid | Form: W🟢W🟢L🔴W🟢L🔴W🟢:
Alvaro Arbeloa's side extended their winning run to three matches with a 2-0 victory away at Villarreal.
They boast formidable historical form against Portuguese teams and have Kylian Mbappe in red-hot scoring form, taking them to within one point of the La Liga summit.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
🔴Benfica (possible):
Trubin, Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl, Aursnes, Barrenechea, Prestianni, Barreiro, Sudakov, Pavlidis.
⚪Real Madrid (possible):
Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler, Mastantuono, Mbappé, Vinicius.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Kylian Mbappe — Has scored in three straight matches, equalling a Champions League scoring record.
✨ Vangelis Pavlidis — Ended a scoring drought with a brace at the weekend and will lead Benfica's attack.
✨ Nicolas Otamendi — Set to become just the third Argentine to reach 100 Champions League appearances.
✨ Vinicius Junior — The Madrid winger is central to his side’s goal-scoring chances.
💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵
💵 Benfica/Home to win = 4.15
💵 Real Madrid/Away to win = 1.85
💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 1.52
💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.53
This clash presents a classic European narrative: a confident Real Madrid side with a superb record against Portuguese teams faces a Benfica side desperate for a miracle to keep their Champions League journey alive.
With history offering hope for the hosts, Estadio da Luz is set for a compelling Champions League night.
Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
🔗 You can follow the Benfica vs Real Madrid game here on MSport.
#Benfica #RealMadrid #ChampionsLeague #UCL #Mourinho #Arbeloa #EstádioDaLuz #Mbappé #Pavlidis #Otamendi #UCL
The last time these teams met in the Champions League, Manchester City secured a 2-1 victory. This time, a Citizens side on the edge of the top eight welcomes a Galatasaray team fighting to secure their knockout stage place.
It's the UEFA Champions League league phase finale on Wednesday, January 28, as Manchester City hosts Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side will be aiming for a win to try and secure a place in the top eight and avoid the play-offs.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Manchester City: 11th in the league phase table with 13 points from 9 matches.
🔸 Galatasaray: 17th in the league phase table with 10 points from 9 matches.
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Manchester City have won three and drawn one of their opening four league phase matches this campaign.
🔥 Manchester City fell to a 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in their last Champions League match.
🔥 Galatasaray have a two-point lead over the teams in 25th and 26th place.
🔥 Galatasaray's league phase wins include a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and a 3-1 win against Bodo/Glimt.
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams 🔥
🔵Manchester City | Form: L🔴W🟢L🔴W🟢W🟢D🟡:
Pep Guardiola's side are outside the top eight only on goal difference, level on points with several teams.
After a strong start to the phase, their form has been inconsistent, but with a win required to boost their chances of a top-eight finish, they will be highly motivated at home against a team they beat earlier in the phase.
🔴Galatasaray | Form: D🟡L🔴L🔴W🟢W🟢W🟢:
Galatasaray hold a narrow lead over the knockout round cut-off and could still be eliminated if several results go against them.
A result at the Etihad would secure their progression, and they can take confidence from having beaten Bodo/Glimt, who recently defeated Manchester City.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
🔵Manchester City (possible):
Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O'Reilly, Cherki, Doku, Lewis, Silva, Semenyo, Haaland.
🔴Galatasaray (possible):
Cakir, Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs, Lemina, Torreira, Sane, Gundogan, Yilmaz, Osimhen.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Erling Haaland — Dropped out at the weekend but expected to start, he has scored in the Champions League this phase.
✨ Victor Osimhen — Has scored six goals in five Champions League games for Galatasaray this term.
✨ Phil Foden — Likely to return to the starting lineup to provide creativity for the hosts.
✨ Semenyo — Scored in the previous match against Wolves and could feature again.
💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵
💵 Man City/Home to win = 1.26
💵 Galatasaray/Away to win = 10.92
💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 1.69
💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.32
This clash presents a high-stakes European night: a Manchester City side needing a win to chase a top-eight spot faces a Galatasaray team desperate for points to confirm their knockout stage place.
With both teams having clear motivation, the Etihad Stadium is set for a compelling Champions League finale.
Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
🔗 You can follow the Manchester City vs Galatasaray game here on MSport.
#ManCity #Galatasaray #ChampionsLeague #UCL #Guardiola #Etihad #Haaland #Osimhen #Foden #UCLFinale
The last time Chelsea travelled to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the Champions League in 2012, they left with a 3-1 defeat. This time, an in-form Blues side travels there again, only this time, to face a Napoli side battling to avoid elimination from the competition.
It's UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday, January 28, as Chelsea travels to Naples to face a Napoli team needing a win to survive. Blues boss Liam Rosenior will be aiming to secure the points to guarantee a top-eight finish.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Napoli: 25th in the 36-team league phase, needing a win to qualify for the knockout playoffs.
🔸 Chelsea: Eighth in the league phase, needing a win to secure automatic qualification for the last 16.
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Chelsea are on a three-match winning run across all competitions.
🔥 Chelsea have won just two of 13 away matches in European competition against Italian teams.
🔥 Napoli are unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season (7 points from 9).
🔥 While Chelsea leads the all-time H2H, Napoli's last win over Chelsea was a 3-1 victory at the Maradona in 2012.
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams👀
🔵Napoli | Form: W🟢L🔴D🟡W🟢L🔴D🟡
Antonio Conte's side were crushed 3-0 by Juventus in Serie A last weekend, extending their poor run. With their Champions League fate in their own hands at home, expect a fiercely motivated performance. Key attacker Scott McTominay has scored four of their seven UCL goals.
⚫Chelsea | Form: W🟢W🟢D🟡W🟢L🔴W🟢
Liam Rosenior's side extended their winning run with a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace. However, they face a poor historical record in Italy and have not won an away UCL match since October 2022. The potential absence of Cole Palmer could be a significant blow.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
🔵Napoli (possible):
Meret, Di Lorenzo, Jesus, Buongiorno, Spinazzola, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez, Vergara, Elmas, Hojlund.
⚫Chelsea (possible):
Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Badiashile, Cucurella, James, Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Scott McTominay — Has been Napoli's main UCL threat, scoring four goals. He will be crucial in midfield.
✨ Estevao — Impressed against Palace with a goal; could retain his place at Chelsea's wings.
✨ Joao Pedro — Key for the Blues in 2 of the 3 goals scored against Palace, his involvement and role are key.
✨ Rasmus Hojlund — Expected to lead Napoli's line with Romelu Lukaku not fit to start.
💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵
💵 Napoli/Home to win = 3.30
💵 Chelsea/Away to win = 2.28
💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 2.28
💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.83
This clash presents a classic clash of context: a Chelsea side seeking top-tier security faces a Napoli team fighting for their continental survival on home turf.
With history offering hope for the hosts, the Maradona stadium is set for a compelling Champions League night.
Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
🔗 You can follow the Napoli vs Chelsea game here on MSport.
#Napoli #Chelsea #UCL #ChampionsLeague #Conte #Rosenior #MaradonaStadium #McTominay #JoaoPedro #Hojlund #Palmer #Estevao