Real Madrid will face Benfica once again in the UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs following Friday’s draw, Afrosport reports.
Both sides met in the final game of the league phase on Wednesday in Lisbon, with the Portuguese side winning 4-2 in what was a reunion for former Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho.
The victory handed Benfica a narrow escape from elimination as they finished 24th while Madrid were pushed out of the top eight and finished ninth.
In other knockout playoff fixtures, current Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain will face French rivals AS Monaco, while Newcastle United will face Azerbaijan’s Qarabag.
Italian giants Juventus will battle Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid will lock horns with Club Brugge, Inter Milan will battle Bodo/Glimt while German clubs Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will take on Atalanta and Olympiacos respectively.
The first legs of the knockout play-offs will take place on February 17 and 18, and the second legs will be on February 24 and 25, with the winners progressing to the round of 16.
The knockout phase play-offs are set ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/SLapvWxVV2
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 30, 2026
Full knockout play-off round fixtures
Real Madrid vs Benfica
Inter Milan vs Bodo/Glimt
PSG vs Monaco
Newcastle United vs Qarabag
Juventus vs Galatasaray
Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge
Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiacos
