real Madrid have to overcome jose mourinho benfica To keep his Champions League dream alive after being paired with the Portuguese giants in the playoff round – two days after the goalkeeper Anatoly TrubinThe stoppage-time winner sealed an impressive 4-2 win in Lisbon and prevented Real from finishing in the top eight of the league stage.
Benfica’s incredible victory brought the 2025-26 Champions League to life, but the playoff round promises more drama with heavyweight teams including Real, the defending champions. Paris Saint Germain And last season’s defeated finalists Inter Milan face a tough fight to reach the round of 16.
So while the top eight league stage finishers can sit back and relax and make their way to the final at the Puskás Arena in Budapest on May 30 ahead of the round of 16, the teams that finished between ninth and 24th in the league stage will now have to win a two-legged tie to keep their European campaign alive.
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After Friday’s draw in Nyon, Blue Path and Silver Path have now been decided for the playoffs, SwitzerlandWho will accomplish this, and which major clubs could miss out?
The first leg will be played on 17-18 February and the second leg on 24-25 February.
silver path
atlanta versus borussia dortmund
These two teams finished two places apart in the league stage, with Atalanta finishing 15th, narrowly ahead of Dortmund. Atalanta are dangerous but inconsistent, with Rafael Palladino’s side losing their last two games to finish in the top eight athletic club and Union Saint-Gillois.
With uncertainty over the future of the versatile forward/winger. Ademola Lookman — The Nigeria The midfielder is a January transfer target for Fenerbahce – Atalanta could be without one of their key attacking players when this clash arrives.
Dortmund also lost their last two matches of the league stage Niko KovacThe team will be slight favorites to make it to this stage, with neither side looking capable of going beyond the round of 16.
Winner: Borussia Dortmund
benfica versus real Madrid
After the stoppage-time drama at the Estadio da Luz earlier this week, this immediate reunion between Benfica and Real is clearly a tie of the round, but there is more to this game than revenge for Real, who would have sealed a top eight finish with a draw in Lisbon.
Incredibly for two historic clubs with long records of victory in European tournaments, Real and Benfica have met just four times in competitive action, but Benfica have a 3–1 lead; Real will have to overcome its negative history to win this match. And with Mourinho in charge of Benfica, Real will know that his former coach will be desperate to eliminate them at the Bernabeu in the second leg.
Real will also be without suspension Raul Asencio And Rodrigo has been selected for the first leg due to his red card against Benfica this week, so coach Alvaro Arbeloa has plenty to draw against his old mentor Mourinho.
Winner: Real Madrid
AS Monaco versus Paris Saint Germain
On paper, PSG should be happy with their all-French tie against Monaco, especially after similar talks league 1 matching with breast At the same level as last season. Although Monaco are currently struggling in mid-table in the French league, they did manage a 1-0 win against PSG last November. Takumi Minamino Goal at Stade Louis II. Sebastian Pocognoli’s side will be confident they have a chance of causing an upset.
PSG have been unable to replicate the form they displayed in winning the Champions League last season, but Luis Enrique’s side should still be in contention. ousmane dembele And bradley barcola Now he is back to fitness and PSG has the advantage of the second leg at home. He must have a lot in store for Monaco.
Winner: PSG
Galatasaray versus juventus
History favors two-time Champions League winners Juventus, but in the here and now, there is nothing to separate these two teams and it promises to be close. Galatasaray took home advantage in Istanbul to win 1-0 liverpool in the league stage, and they will aim to build on a strong lead ahead of the second leg in Turin.
The Turkish side has a lot of experienced talent: the goals will be there Victor Osimhen and experience ilke gundogan Will it be enough to tilt the tie in Galatasaray’s favour, or can Luciano Spalletti propel Juve into the round of 16? It will be tough, but Juventus is weak so Galatasaray can pull off a blow and succeed.
Winner: Galatasaray
blue path
Club Brugge versus Atletico Madrid
It’s a contest between a team that has performed well in the Champions League (Brugge) and a team (Atletico) that has developed a habit of not exceeding expectations.
It has been 10 years since Atleti played and lost their second final in three years against Real, and Diego Simeone’s side have been very poor over the past decade. Atleti will face Brugge knowing that the Belgian team is capable of causing further misery in the Champions League. Ivan Leko’s team with Greece midfielder dangerous in terms of pace on the break Christos Tzolis Likely to earn a big step up on the back of an impressive season.
Winner: Club Brugge
FK Qarabag versus newcastle united
Qarabag is the first team from Azerbaijan to make it to the Champions League knockout stage and they did so with three wins and a home draw in the league stage. chelsea. The first leg in Baku will be Qarabag’s best hope of making the tie a close one, especially with the added trip to Newcastle, who have an increasingly congested home fixture list.
But Liverpool’s easy 6-0 win against Qarabag at Anfield on matchday 8 exposed many of Newcastle’s weaknesses, and manager Eddie Howe should be pleased with the draw, especially with the option of a tricky tie against Monaco. This will probably be one of the most one-sided fixtures, but Newcastle need to avoid complacency in the first leg.
Winner: Newcastle United
2:09
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Bodo/Shine versus inter Milan
Norwegian team Bodo seal their playoff spot with dramatic back-to-back wins Manchester City And Atletico Madrid and Inter will hold no fear for Kjetil Knutson’s side. However, it may be a different matter for Inter.
Will Cristian Chivu’s team really want to travel to the Arctic Circle in mid-February to face Bodø on their infamous artificial pitch – a venue that has already been seen LazioPorto and Roma suffered humiliating defeats? Despite the threat of the away leg, Inter will be favorites to secure a place against a team who are still more than a month away from the start of their domestic season.
Inter have plenty of experience in their ranks, and have the added safety net of having the second leg at San Siro.
Winner: Inter Milan
bayer leverkusen versus Olympiacos
These two teams most recently met in matchday 7 of the league stage on 20 January, with Olympiacos winning 2–0 in Greece. With the first leg at Piraeus’ scary Georgios Karasakis Stadium, Olympiacos can take a strong lead ahead of the return match. Germany if further ayub al kaabi And mehdi taremi Can maintain his form this season.
Leverkusen are a team in transition, but they should still win this tie over two legs. Olympiacos are a dangerous outsider, as shown during their 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, so this tie could go to penalties.
Winner: Olympiacos
