Real Madrid return to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night holding a narrow advantage in their Champions League knockout playoff against Benfica. A 1-0 first-leg win in Lisbon, courtesy of Vinicius Junior’s second-half strike, has put Los Blancos in control, but the tie remains tense both on and off the pitch.

The initial meeting was overshadowed by controversy after Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse following his goal, leading to a prolonged stoppage and an ongoing UEFA investigation. That incident has added extra edge to the return fixture. Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa is expected to start Vinicius, who has scored in four consecutive matches and will be central to Madrid’s attacking threat alongside Kylian Mbappe.

Form, however, is not entirely convincing. A 2-1 La Liga defeat to Osasuna at the weekend left Real Madrid second in the domestic table and exposed defensive inconsistencies. Still, their European pedigree is undeniable: they have progressed in 22 of their last 23 European ties after winning the first leg and have won five of their previous six matches against Portuguese opponents. Advancement would set up a last-16 clash with either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City.

Benfica travel to Spain after a 3-0 league win over AFS, though head coach Jose Mourinho will be absent from the touchline following his red card in the first leg. Historically, the Portuguese side hold a slight overall edge in head-to-head meetings, including their famous 1962 European Cup final triumph. However, recent trends are less encouraging. Benfica have lost six of their last eight games against Spanish opposition and have managed just two wins in 14 away matches in Spain.

Squad availability favors the visitors slightly. Benfica are missing only Joao Veloso, while Real Madrid remain without Rodrygo (suspension), Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos due to injury. Dean Huijsen is also doubtful. Arbeloa is likely to deploy a narrow midfield structure with Federico Valverde and Arda Guler providing width, supporting Mbappe and Vinicius in a two-man attack. For Benfica, Vangelis Pavlidis — with 28 goals this season — represents their primary threat, potentially supported by Dodi Lukebakio and Rafa in advanced roles.

Benfica have won eight of their last 11 two-legged European ties, but overturning a deficit at the Bernabeu presents a significantly higher challenge. Real Madrid may not be at peak fluency, yet their experience and efficiency in managing knockout leads give them the edge.

周三晚上，皇马在欧冠淘汰赛对阵本菲卡的比赛中以微弱优势重返伯纳乌。在里斯本的首回合比赛中，凭借小维尼修斯下半场的进球，白衣军团以1-0的比分战胜了对手，但无论在场上还是场下，双方的比分都很紧张。

在维尼修斯指责本菲卡队的吉安卢卡·普雷蒂尼在进球后进行种族歧视之后，最初的会议被争议蒙上了阴影，导致了长时间的停工和欧足联正在进行的调查。这一事件为回头赛增添了额外的优势。主教练阿尔瓦罗·阿贝罗阿预计将让维尼修斯首发，他已经连续四场比赛进球，并将与基利安·姆巴佩一起成为马德里进攻威胁的核心。

然而，形式并不完全令人信服。在上周末的西甲联赛中，皇马1 - 2不敌奥萨苏纳，这使得皇马在国内积分榜上排名第二，同时也暴露了后防的不稳定。尽管如此，他们的欧洲血统是不可否认的：他们在最近23次欧洲比赛中有22次在首回合获胜后晋级，并且在之前的6场对阵葡萄牙对手的比赛中取得了5场胜利。晋级将在16强对阵里斯本竞技或曼城。

本菲卡在联赛3-0战胜AFS后将前往西班牙，尽管主教练穆里尼奥在首回合红牌后将缺席边线。从历史上看，葡萄牙队在正面交锋中总体上略有优势，包括他们著名的1962年欧洲杯决赛的胜利。然而，最近的趋势却不那么令人鼓舞。本菲卡在最近8场对阵西班牙对手的比赛中输掉了6场，在西班牙的14场客场比赛中只取得了2场胜利。

阵容的可用性稍微有利于客队。本菲卡只有维罗索缺阵，而皇马则因伤缺阵罗德里戈（停赛）、贝灵汉、米利塔奥和塞巴略斯。院长惠森也表示怀疑。阿贝罗阿可能会部署一个狭窄的中场结构，由巴尔韦德和古勒提供宽度，在双人进攻中支持姆巴佩和维尼修斯。对于本菲卡来说，本赛季打进28球的帕夫利迪斯是他们的主要威胁，多迪·卢卡巴基奥和拉法在前腰位置上可能会提供支持。

本菲卡在过去的11场欧战两回合比赛中赢了8场，但是在伯纳乌要想扭转败局，难度要大得多。皇马可能还没有达到流畅的巅峰，但他们在淘汰赛中领先的经验和效率给了他们优势。