Spread the loveBy Dennis OkechukwuBenfica could be set for another heavyweight UEFA Champions League showdown, with Real Madrid or Inter Milan looming as potential opponents in the knockout phase play-offs following Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland. The Portuguese giants are among the unseeded teams in the 2025/26 Champions League knockout phase play-off draw, which features clubs that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase. Benfica’s unseeded status leaves them vulnerable to facing one of Europe’s elite, including serial champions Real Madrid or Italian giants Inter. As a result, Benfica could once again be reunited with Real Madrid, a familiar foe from previous Champions League campaigns, or face Inter Milan in a tie that promises tactical intensity and continental pedigree. The knockout phase play-offs will be contested over two legs in February, with first-leg matches scheduled for 17 and 18 February, and the return fixtures on 24 and 25 February.