Real Madrid have been handed a rematch with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League knockout play-offs, a few days after that fateful game in Lisbon. Earlier this week, Benfica notched a pulsating 4-2 win to secure the 24th and final play-off spot, and the result prevented Real Madrid from sneaking into the Top 8.
Besides the Benfica-Real Madrid rematch, the draw has produced a handful of potential barnburners as well. AS Monaco and PSG will square off in an all-French clash, while Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, Club Brugge, Qarabag, and Bodo/Glimt will take on Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United, and Inter Milan, respectively.
Without further ado, here are some of the top storylines to watch in the knockouts, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Mourinho aims for a triumphant Bernabeu return
It has been quite some time since Jose Mourinho last stepped into the Bernabeu, and the charismatic manager has the chance to inflict more pain on his former employers a few weeks from now. Actually, the first leg of their knockout play-off tie is in Lisbon, and we all know what happened last Wednesday night.
Benfica jumped to a 3-1 lead at home, as Andreas Schjelderup bagged a brace and Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty. However, Kylian Mbappe had other plans. The Real Madrid star made it 3-2 before the hour mark, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing record for the most goals scored by a player in a single group/league phase campaign in the Champions League (13).
Chaos ensued in stoppage time, as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off. After realising they needed to win by two goals to leapfrog Marseille in the standings, Mourinho ordered Anatoliy Trubin to be in the penalty box for the free-kick, following a foul on Jude Bellingham. In the ensuing play, the Ukrainian goalkeeper rose to the occasion by heading in Fredrik Aursnes’ ball, and the whole arena was in pandemonium.
The winner of this tie could face Sporting or Manchester City in the Round of 16. There’s a chance we’ll get an all-Portuguese showdown if Benfica upset Los Blancos again.
AS Monaco and PSG set for all-French showdown
AS Monaco may not usurp PSG in Ligue 1 this season. However, they have a chance to get one over them here in the Champions League knockout play-offs. At the time of writing, the Parisiens are second in the French top-flight standings and have a 21-point cushion over 10th-seeded Les Monegasques.
PSG dropped out of the Top 8 after stumbling in their last three league phase games. Since their 5-3 win against Tottenham last November, they dropped points against Athletic Bilbao (0-0), Sporting (2-1), and Newcastle United (1-1), consigning them to 11th in the standings. Luis Enrique’s side is far from the world beaters they were last term due to injuries, so expect PSG to rotate their squad in their next few games to manage the workload of their key players.
AS Monaco finished 21st after notching two wins, four draws, and two losses in the league phase. Despite their underwhelming record in Ligue 1, Les Monegasques can brag about defeating PSG in their previous meeting last November (1-0).
Sébastien Pocognoli’s men are also in the Coupe de France Round of 16, so they should have enough games to sharpen up against PSG. The winner of this two-legged tie will face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the Round of 16.
Bodo/Glimt’s Cinderella run continues
Bodo/Glimt became the first Norwegian side to progress from the group/league phase of a Champions League campaign since Rosenborg reached the quarter-finals in 1996-97. They finished 23rd in the standings due to their recent positive run of Champions League 2026 results, following an uneven start.
After upsetting Manchester City 3-1 last week, Bodo/Glimt followed it up with a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid last Wednesday night. They went down by one goal early against Los Rojiblancos, courtesy of Alexander Sorloth (who happens to be Norwegian). However, Fredrik Sjovold and Kasper Hogh were on the scoresheet to complete the turnaround.
Head coach Kjetil Knutsen finds himself in rare company, as he joined Jurgen Klopp, Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti, Bruno Genesio, and Thomas Tuchel as one of the few managers to beat Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone in the Champions League. They’ll aim to defy the Champions League 2026 odds again when they host Inter Milan.
Inter Milan missed out on a Top 8 spot, despite their 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the final matchday. Cristian Chivu’s men are busy fighting on all fronts, as they’re deep into the Coppa Italia and are the Serie A frontrunners.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
