Mbappe Eyes Historic Milestone as Real Madrid Face Benfica—Team News and Predicted XI Revealed
Real Madrid aims to secure their spot in the Champions League knockout rounds with a victory against Benfica on Wednesday evening in Lisbon, the same venue where they memorably captured La Décima.
The 15-time European titleholders are gradually regaining their rhythm under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa, putting together three straight wins where they netted 10 goals while allowing just one. Los Blancos' commanding 6–1 triumph over Monaco in their second-to-last group stage encounter helped restore confidence to what had been a struggling squad.
This Champions League success positioned Real Madrid in third place in the group standings and gave them complete control over their qualification fate. Another three points against José Mourinho's Benfica would allow the Spanish powerhouse to skip the playoff round and secure direct advancement to the round of 16.
Match Snapshot
Match Snapshot
Team News
Team News
Real Madrid traveled to Lisbon missing long-term injured players Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy. Raúl Asencio, who continues playing despite a tibia problem, and Dean Huijsen will maintain their central defensive partnership as the team deals with ongoing defensive injuries.
Alexander-Arnold and Rüdiger, however, have started limited group training sessions and appear close to returning to action. Kylian Mbappé and Álvaro Carreras weren't full participants in Wednesday's match preparation, but despite individual training sessions, both are anticipated to start.
Aurélien Tchouaméni, on the other hand, will reclaim his midfield position after being unavailable against Villarreal due to a suspension for accumulated yellow cards in La Liga.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Villarreal
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Villarreal
GK: Thibaut Courtois—The Belgian shot-stopper is targeting consecutive clean sheets for the first time since October.
RB: Federico Valverde—Valverde may be eagerly awaiting Alexander-Arnold's comeback, but he cannot argue with his own excellent performances at right-back.
CB: Raúl Asencio—Few would realize Asencio has been competing while injured. The defender faces a significant challenge, however, when confronting Vangelis Pavlidis, who has found the net 27 times this campaign.
CB: Dean Huijsen—Now completely healthy, Huijsen is starting to display flashes of his previous elite form from his Bournemouth days. Anticipate the center-back to be Real Madrid's primary aerial threat on dead balls.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—Following his absence against Monaco due to suspension, Carreras comes back for the group stage conclusion. The summer acquisition has been nearly flawless defensively over the past three months.
CM: Arda Güler—Güler's creativity and dead ball expertise secure him a spot in Los Blancos' midfield, although he continues to face challenges in deeper positions, particularly under pressure.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The French midfielder returns to Arbeloa's starting eleven after completing his one-game La Liga suspension over the weekend. Eduardo Camavinga drops to the substitutes' bench.
CM: Jude Bellingham—Following a demanding performance against Villarreal where he covered extensive ground and contributed defensively, Bellingham will seek greater attacking freedom on Wednesday.
RW: Franco Mastantuono—The club appears to be taking a cautious approach with Rodrygo's injury recovery, creating an opportunity for Mastantuono to earn his third straight start on the right flank.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—With 11 Champions League goals already this season, Mbappé requires just one more to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most goals in a single group stage/league phase campaign.
LW: Vinicius Junior—The Brazilian winger is full of confidence since Arbeloa's appointment and will aim to duplicate his outstanding display against Monaco in the team's concluding group stage fixture.