Real Madrid’s Potential Champions League Last 16 Opponents

The 15-time European champions have their sights set on the round of 16.

Real Madrid have one foot in the Champions League round of 16. | Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Well, the second installment of Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the 2025–26 Champions League was certainly dramatic, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

Vinicius Junior’s opening goal was tremendous, similar to his strike against Rayo Vallecano last month, only more venomous, yet it was the Brazilian’s sequence of brilliance in Lisbon that would ignite the scenes which Trent Alexander-Arnold would later describe as a ”disgrace to football.”

Gianluca Prestianni’s alleged racist abuse of Madrid’s match-winner cast a gloomy shadow over what was an impressive performance away from home for Álvaro Arbeloa’s side, just three weeks removed from their stunning 4–2 defeat at the same ground.

Their 1–0 victory leaves them with a foot in the round of 16, and, unless Benfica become the first team since Erik ten Hag’s Ajax in 2019 to advance at Madrid’s expense after losing the first leg at home, they will face one of these two teams next.

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Who Could Real Madrid Face in the Champions League Round of 16?

There could be two more instalments of Carlo Ancelotti’s "Clásico". | Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

If Benfica fail to stage an unlikely comeback at the Santiago Bernabéu next week, especially with José Mourinho absent from the touchline following his dismissal on Tuesday night, then Real Madrid will face either Sporting CP or, inevitably, Manchester City in the round of 16.

Madrid have developed a pretty intense competitive rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens, and should they meet in the next round, the two teams would’ve squared off in the knockout stages of each of the previous five Champions League seasons. Too much of a good thing?

Recent duels certainly haven’t been as special as their memorable semi-final clashes of 2021–22 and 2022–23, where City avenged their stunning defeat the season prior with an emphatic 4–0 victory at the Etihad Stadium on their way to the treble.

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Real Madrid’s Head-to-Head Record vs. Potential Round of 16 Opponents

Statistic	Man City	Sporting CP
Played	15	6
Real Madrid Wins	6	4
Draws	4	1
Real Madrid Losses	5	1

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The pair have already met in the competition this season, with Guardiola’s Cityzens winning 2–1 at the Bernabéu during the league phase.

A collision with Sporting CP would be more novel for Madrid, even if it would mean returning to Lisbon for the third time in the space of a few weeks. They haven’t faced off against Os Leões since 2016, and have also never lost to the 21-time Portuguese champions in the Champions League.

Their history with Sporting dates back to 1994, when Madrid advanced on away goals in a closely contested UEFA Cup first round tie.

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