Arriving in Lisbon, Real Madrid's Worst Nightmare Surrounds

LISBON, MONDAY – Real Madrid may hold the title of the most successful club in the Champions League with a collection of 15 "Big Ears" trophies. However, the blood pressure and heart rate of the players of "Los Blancos" will reach abnormal levels every time they face Benfica. The Da Luz Stadium in Lisbon, the home of Benfica, is the only venue where Real has never conquered the hosts in their favorite competition.

Los Blancos will make their second visit to Da Luz this season in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 playoff tie on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 3:00 a.m. WIB. Less than a month ago, on January 28, Real Madrid returned home with a 4-2 defeat, ensuring Benfica's place in the playoffs.

The negative result confirms Real's poor record every time they visit Benfica's home ground. More than six decades ago, Real was powerless in the first match of the quarter-finals in the 1964-1965 season.

Inspired by Eusébio, the best player from Portugal before the era of Cristiano Ronaldo, "The Eagle" struck Real with a decisive score of 5-1. Although they lost 1-2 in the second leg, Benfica smoothly advanced to the semifinals thanks to an aggregate advantage of 6-3.

Benfica's dominance over Real in the 1960s was also recorded in the final match of the 1961-1962 Champions League. Benfica defeated Real 5-3 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This was the first loss for Los Blancos in a Champions League final.

Sixty-one years later, Real faced Benfica again at Da Luz. In their first attempt this season, they suffered a tragic defeat through a header from Benfica's goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin.

Not only did Real Madrid lose, they also went home with two players receiving red cards: Raul Asencio and Rodrygo. Both players missed the first playoff match.

In fact, compared to the 1960s, Benfica is no longer a superior team. There is no phenomenal skipper equivalent to Eusébio. The big name listed in the Benfica squad actually comes from the sidelines. He is José Mourinho, the coach of Benfica.

Mourinho's tactical approach and experience are key factors that allowed Benfica to contain Real's stars, such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Jr. Mourinho had no difficulty winning the strategic duel against Real's coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, a former protégé of his.

Referring to history, the best memories of Real at Da Luz were created in the summer of 2014. At that time, they embraced La Decima, or the 10th Champions League title, after winning the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid with a score of 4-1 in the final match. Arbeloa was a substitute player who did not play at that time.

Arbeloa is aware of the difficult challenges that his protégés will face in Lisbon. Amidst a record of poor encounters, Arbeloa is determined to help Real secure their first victory from Benfica's home ground.

"We were warned how difficult the match would be on Tuesday (Wednesday WIB). We'll have to play a fantastic game to continue our recent winning streak," said Arbeloa, as reported by Marca.

He continued, "I hope history doesn't repeat itself. We'll try to win and not think about the second match."

Real winger Vinícius is determined to help his team take revenge on Benfica. Although he believes that Real has the advantage of the draw by playing the second leg at home, Vinícius emphasizes the importance of bringing home a positive result from the away leg in the first match.

"If the team isn't in top physical condition, we can lose against any team. That's what we experienced when we lost our previous match against Benfica. Now, we have a second chance and we want to win," Vinícius said in a podcast hosted by Spanish YouTuber Ibai Llanos.

For Benfica, the victory over Real last month has boosted the team's morale and fighting spirit. Benfica experienced a difficult period in January due to being eliminated from the League Cup and the Portugal Cup.

The situation prompted supporters to stage a demonstration at the team's training complex in mid-January. Mourinho personally met with the fans to reassure them to continue supporting the team during this difficult time.

As a result, Benfica earned seven points in three Liga Portugal matches during February. The Eagles narrowed the point gap with FC Porto, the league leaders, from 10 points to seven points.

Despite still sitting in third place, Benfica is the only team that remains unbeaten up to week 22 of the 2025-2026 edition of the Portuguese League. Amid this positive trend, Mourinho reminded his players that only flawless performance can lead the team to defeat Real again.

"They (Real) are kings. 15 (titles) is a statement, not just history. We will face, of course, the biggest challenger to win this competition," Mourinho said, as quoted by A Bola.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions of the Champions League, will face a derby against fellow French team AS Monaco at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco. Having held the status of the best team in 2025 by sweeping all trophies in France and Europe, PSG's performance has been inconsistent in 2026.

They were thrown into the playoff round of the knockout stage due to not winning in their last three Champions League matches. "Les Parisiens" collected two points from a maximum of nine points, thus exiting the top eight zone. In Ligue 1, the top of the standings was also seized by Lens last weekend.

At the meeting at the Louis II Stadium during the French League on November 29, PSG lost 0-1. The only goal from Japanese striker, Takumi Minamino, secured victory for Monaco. However, Minamino will not play due to a severe injury that has ended his season prematurely.

"A away match against Monaco will not be easy. We have already experienced a defeat there, so we must give our all to win," said Ousmane Dembele, a forward for PSG, as reported on the club's website.

In another match, two representatives from Italy, Juventus and Atalanta, will play away games. Juve will visit the home ground of Galatasaray, while Atalanta will challenge Borussia Dortmund in Germany. (AFP)