Standing in Real Madrid’s way of the Champions League round of 16 is a pesky Benfica side led by a familiar face—and foe—in José Mourinho.
The 15-time European champions had already begun planning for a light February ahead of their final league phase game back in January. They sat third in the table, guaranteed to directly advance to the last 16 with a win over their final opponents Benfica. Even a draw would have seen Los Blancos remain in the top eight.
