It’s all on the line this Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League. All 36 teams will be in action, and 32 of them can still advance to the next round. Benfica and Real Madrid are two such teams, and their matchup has major stakes.
Madrid is a -140 favorite to win at DraftKings Sportsbook, and Benfica is +320. There are +330 odds that the teams will split the points. Let’s get into a prediction and pick for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League matchup.
Benfica vs. Real Madrid prediction, pick
Real Madrid, the 2024 UCL winners, are on a quest to get back to the top. One more win secures their place in the knockout stages, an important first step. But they can’t mess around here; with 15 points, they could be passed if they lose. Avoiding the Round of 16 playoff is important to advancing, and they’ll look to get a win against Benfica.
They’re led by an exceptional attack. Kylian Mbappe, one of the best goal scorers in the world, captures most of the headlines. But his supporting cast takes things over the top: Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, and Rodrygo provide him with excellent service while scoring plenty of goals on their own. With a solid defense behind them, this team is primed to contend for more trophies. The main question here is how high manager Alvaro Arbeloa can take them after the ouster of Xabi Alonso.
Benfica is hanging on by a thread after its 2-0 loss to Italian side Juventus. Not only do they need a big upset against Madrid to survive, but they also need a few results to go their way. They’ve been majorly let down by their attack, scoring just six goals across seven UCL matches. A lot more is needed from this front four, and it’s going to be a tall task against an experienced and talented Madrid back line.
There’s too much at stake for Madrid to believe that they drop the points here. Benfica’s season will end with a whimper, while Madrid punch their ticket to the knockout stages.
