The first leg in Lisbon ended with a narrow 1-0 victory for Real Madrid, but it leaves something to be desired: Benfica looked strong at home and is quite capable of scoring away from home. Mourinho's side have consistently excelled in recent league games (three consecutive wins with a 7-1 aggregate score), and they had scoring chances in their head-to-head meeting two weeks ago. However, the Eagles' defense isn't perfect – they've conceded in three of their last five matches, including the encounter with Santa Clara.
Real Madrid, despite being the favorites, unexpectedly stumbled against Osasuna (1-2), ending their four-game winning streak. The Whites are traditionally strong offensively at the Santiago Bernabéu (four goals against Real Sociedad), but their defense allows even mid-table teams to create chances. Losing the lead will force Benfica to go forward, and Madrid will be dangerous on the counter-attack – this scenario promises an exchange of goals.
