Benfica to face Real Madrid again, other fixtures in Champions League play-offs

Real Madrid will face Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League play-off round, following Friday’s draw.

Benfica beat Real 4-2 in their final league-phase game on Wednesday, with a 98th-minute goal by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin securing the last play-off spot.

The two-legged play-off ties are scheduled for February.

Newcastle, which won four of its eight league-phase games, will meet Qarabag in a two-legged tie for a place in the last 16.

The Magpies drew 1-1 with defending champions PSG on Wednesday to finish 12th in the league phase. PSG, who finished 11th, will face Monaco.

Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s 98th-minute goal earned Benfica a 4-2 win against the Spanish side on Wednesday.

The play-offs are for teams that finished between 9th and 24th in the league phase. The first legs will take place on 17-18 February, with the second legs one week later.

The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, will host the 2025-26 final on 30 May.

Qarabag finished 22nd in the league phase, winning three, drawing one, and losing four matches.

They were defeated 6-0 by Liverpool in their final match and have not beaten a Premier League team in nine previous attempts. They avoided defeat against an English club for the first time with a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in November.

Champions League play-offs draw in full:

Bodo/Glimt v Inter Milan

Benfica v Real Madrid

Monaco v Paris St-Germain

Qarabag v Newcastle

Galatasaray v Juventus

Club Brugge v Atletico Madrid

Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta

Olympiacos v Bayer Leverkusen