Benfica will face Real Madrid in the Champions League play-offs just three weeks after their dramatic league phase encounter. On Wednesday, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's 98th-minute goal earned Jose Mourinho's side a 4-2 win against the Spanish giants. Newcastle will play Qarabag after finishing the league phase in 12th place, while defending champions Paris St-Germain, who finished 11th, will face Ligue 1 rivals Monaco. The two-legged play-offs are for teams who finished between 9th and 24th in the league phase and the first games will take place on 17-18 February, with the second round one week later. The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary will host the 2025-26 final on 30 May.

Source: BBC January 30, 2026 23:48 UTC