Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid Highlights, UEFA Champions League: Eagles Shock Nine-Men Los Blancos To Sneak Into Playoffs

Hello, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering Real Madrid’s final league phase match against Benfica. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: SL Benfica vs Real Madrid

• Series: UEFA Champions League 2025-26

• Venue: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon

• Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

• Time: 1:30 AM IST (January 29)

The UEFA Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid will be live-streamed on the SonyLIV app and website in India. The match will also be televised live on the Sony TEN 3 SD & HD TV channels in the country.

• Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting CP (San Mames)

• Liverpool vs Qarabag FK (Anfield)

• Barcelona vs Copenhagen (Camp Nou)

• AS Monaco vs Juventus (Stade Louis II)

• Ajax vs Olympiacos (Johan Cruyff Arena)

• Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United (Parc des Princes)

• Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan (Signal Iduna Park)

• Napoli vs Chelsea (Stadio Diego Armando Maradona)

• Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur (Waldstadion)

• Atletico Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt (Estadio Metropolitano)

• Bayer Leverkusen vs Villarreal (BayArena)

• Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty (Emirates Stadium)

• Pafos FC vs Slavia Prague (Limassol Stadium)

• Manchester City vs Galatasaray (Etihad Stadium)

• Club Brugge vs Marseille (Jan Breydel Stadium)

• Benfica vs Real Madrid (Estadio da Luz)

• Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta (Constant Vanden Stock Stadium)

• PSV vs Bayern Munich (Philips Stadium)

You can also follow our UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 live clockwatch blog to keep an eye on all the 18 games.

Ahead of the match, Benfica strengthened their forward line by signing 32-year-old attacker Rafa Silva, who returned to the Estadio da Luz on a free transfer from Besiktas. Will the veteran make his Benfica debut tonight?

Starting XI: Anatoliy Trubin; Amar Dedic, Tomas Araujo, Nicolas Otamendi (c), Samuel Dahl; Leandro Barreiro, Fredrik Aursnes; Andreas Schjelderup, Gianluca Prestianni, Georgiy Sudakov; Vangelis Pavlidis.

Bench: Diogo Ferreira (gk), Antonio Silva, Daniel Banjaqui, Jose Neto, Goncalo Oliveira, Enzo Barrenechea, Manuel Silva, Diogo Prioste, Bruma, Franjo Ivanovic, Anisio Cabral, Rodrigo Rego.

Starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Federico Valverde (c), Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Arda Gular, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham; Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

Bench: Andriy Lunin (gk), Fran Gonzalez (gk), Daniel Carvajal, David Alaba, Fran Garcia, Diego Aguado, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Diaz, Jorge Cestero, Rodrygo, Gonzalo Garcia.

Referee Davide Massa blows his whistle, and Real Madrid get tonight's league phase match underway.

Early drama in Lisbon!! After a couple of terrific chances for Pavilidis and Prestianni, the home side are awarded a penalty by Davide Massa, who penalises Bellingham's tackle in the box. However, VAR asks the referee to take another look at the incident, and the decision is overturned.

Real Madrid take the lead right after the hour mark, and it's top scorer Mbappe who finds the back of the net. Ascencio played a hopefull ball into the Benfica box, and it found the Frenchman unmarked. The latter headed it past Trubin to put Los Blancos ahead against the run of play.

Real Madrid's leads lasts less than six minutes as Schjelderup draws the Eagles level. Pavlidis floats in a hopeful cross into the box, and Schjelderup outjumps his marker to head it in between the legs of Courtois and into the back of the net.

Out of nowhere, Benfica are awarded a penalty as Tchouameni brought Otamendi down in the box with a pull of the jerey. Pavlidis stepped up to take the shot, and made no mistake! The Eagles are ahead!!

The referee blows his whistle, and the second half is underway. No half time changes from either manager. As things remain, Benfica remain outside the top 24 due to goal difference, while Madrid hang on to sixth place.

Schjelderup nets his second goal of the game to put Benfica further ahead in Lisbon!! The Norwegian takes the ball and cuts inside from the left flank, geting the better of Asencio before firing it past Courtois. Clinical football from the Eagles.

Mbappe cuts the deficit for Real Madrid with his second goal of the game. Guler finds the Frenchman, who shoots first time to catch Trubin by surprise. The goalkeeper has no chance to keep it out, and Los Blancos are back in the game.

Time is running out for Real Madrid to get something out of this match, and Arbeloa has turned to his bench for a triple substitution. Alaba, Jorge Cestero, and Brahim Diaz all come on for Los Blancos, replacing Huijsen, Guler, and Carreras.

It's a thrilling contest in Lisbon, but Madrid's hopes of a comeback are severely dented as Asencio earns himself a second yellow card. Real Madrid are down to 10 men!

What is going on at Real Madrid?! The visitors are down to NINE men as Rodrygo, who came on in the 55th minute, sees his second yellow card in the span of just two minutes.

Can you believe this!! Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin has just gone and scored against the mighty Real Madrid!! Aursnes floats in a ball into the box, and Trubin – who had gone up to pad up Benfica's goal difference – heads it beautifully past Courtois.

WHAT A GAME!! This is Champions League at its very best. With nothing to lose, Benfica push ahead all their players, and goalkeeper Trubin scores with what is the last touch of the game to send Benfica through to the playoff rounds. 15-time winners Real Madrid have also dropped down to the playoffs!!