Real Madrid will face Benfica in a crucial Champions League clash tomorrow night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This will be the second leg of the knockout round los blancos The team won 1-0 in the first leg in Lisbon last week, a game that was marred by controversy after Gianluca Prestani allegedly hurled racist abuse at Vinicius Junior.
advertise
Real Madrid players are training in Valdebebas today to prepare for possible tensions at the Bernabeu.
Thiago Pitacci, Jorge Sestero will be called up
Now, according to “The Athletic” reporter Guillermo Rai, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa will call up young players Thiago Pitacci and Jorge Sestero for the game against Benfica.
this merengue Training today was without midfielders Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos, both of whom are currently injured, with the latter sidelined after sustaining a calf injury against Osasuna.
Jorge Sestero will feature against Benfica. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
advertise
As a result, the two young midfield prospects have been rotated in and out of the first-team squad by Arbeloa in recent weeks, where they work alongside the rest of the squad.
Therefore, the Real Madrid coach is expected to include both Thiago and Sestero in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Benfica.
Sestero made his first-team debut under Xabi Alonso in December 2025, coming on as a substitute in the Copa del Rey against Talavera. He has since made four more appearances under Arbeloa, including the first leg against Benfica.
As for Thiago, he made his senior team debut last week as a substitute in the first leg at the Stadium of Light.
It remains to be seen whether any of them will make any action against Benfica, but they will be included in the squad expected to be announced tomorrow morning.
