Is Kylian Mbappé Playing Today? Real Madrid vs Benfica UCL Lineup News
Sportsgrid Staff
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Kylian Mbappé Chasing History
The UEFA Champions League league phase reaches its climax today at the Estádio da Luz as Real Madrid faces Benfica. While Los Blancos are heavy favorites, the central question for fans and bettors alike has been the availability of their talismanic forward, Kylian Mbappé. After a week of managing muscular overloads and training individually, the French captain’s status has been the primary talking point in Madrid.
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Is Kylian Mbappé Playing Today?
Yes, Kylian Mbappé is officially in the starting lineup to face Benfica. Despite concerns regarding “muscular overloads" that saw him train away from the main group earlier this week, manager Álvaro Arbeloa has named him to lead the attack alongside Vinícius Júnior and Franco Mastantuono.
Mbappé has been in sensational form, scoring in all three of his appearances under Arbeloa so far. He arrives in Lisbon having already netted 21 goals in 20 La Liga outings this season and is the clear focal point for a Madrid side looking to secure a top-eight finish.
Match Snapshot: Benfica vs Real Madrid
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Arena: Estádio da Luz
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Location: Lisbon, Portugal
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Where to Watch: Paramount+
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Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Real Madrid Starting XI
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Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
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Defenders: Federico Valverde, Raúl Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras
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Midfielders: Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham
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Forwards: Franco Mastantuono, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé
The Stakes: A Record-Breaking Night in Lisbon?
Beyond the vital three points, Mbappé is on the verge of individual Champions League immortality today.
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Record Watch: With 11 goals already in this Champions League campaign, Mbappé needs just one more to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goals scored in a single group stage/league phase.
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Automatic Qualification: A victory today guarantees Real Madrid an automatic bye to the Round of 16, bypassing the treacherous knockout playoff round.
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Betting Angle: Mbappé is the outstanding candidate to score first today, with odds of +230 (3.30) at many major sportsbooks.
Injury Report: Defensive Shuffles for Los Blancos
While the attack is at full strength, Arbeloa is managing several key absences in his backline.
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Confirmed Out: Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger, and Ferland Mendy remain sidelined.
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Returning: Aurélien Tchouaméni returns to the starting midfield after serving a suspension during the weekend’s win over Villarreal.
