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Real Madrid will quickly face Benfica again following their draw in the Champions League playoffs on Friday.

Benfica defeated Madrid 4-2 on Wednesday, preventing the 15-time European champion from securing a direct spot in the round of 16 and pushing them into the uncertainty of the playoffs.

The reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain will also have to go through this path and will encounter a purely French match against Monaco. Meanwhile, this season’s unexpected standout, the small Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt, will face last year’s eliminated finalist Inter Milan.

The victors of the two-leg playoff matches will move on to the round of 16, where Madrid could potentially meet Manchester City in another intense confrontation.

Mourinho’s Bernabeu return

The draw indicates that former Madrid manager Jose Mourinho will make a return to the Bernabeu with Benfica, following a remarkable victory in the last round of the league stage, which featured a goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in the eighth minute of extra time.

Ahead 3-2 at the end of 90 minutes, Benfica required an additional goal to qualify for the playoffs based on goal difference. It achieved this in the most exciting way possible when Ukrainian goalkeeper Trubin scored the decisive goal with a header.

Madrid, which began the game in third position, was eliminated from the top eight, thereby failing to qualify for the round of 16.

Mourinho, who has won the Champions League twice, will get the opportunity to cause further distress to his former team, which recently parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso and has turned to Alvaro Arbeloa in an attempt to save the season.

PSG, which secured the Champions League in an exciting manner last season, will need to navigate a longer path in its attempt to retain the title. It faces a Monaco side that is positioned nine places and 21 points behind it in the French league.

PSG’s victory last year also allowed them to progress through the playoffs.

Bodø/Glimt has emerged as the standout team in this season’s tournament, having caused two major upsets by defeating Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to qualify for the playoffs in their first appearance in the top European club competition. They now pose a significant challenge to Inter’s chances of advancing.

Champions League playoffs draw

Benfica vs. Real Madrid

Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan

Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Qarabag vs. Newcastle

Galatasaray vs. Juventus

Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta

Olympiakos vs. Bayer Leverkusen

When are the playoffs scheduled to occur?

The initial matches are scheduled for Feb. 17-18.

The second legs take place on Feb. 24-25.

Teams automatically advanced to the round of 16

Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester City.

Europa League draw

This season’s Europa League final will be held in Istanbul, but Nottingham Forest will head to the Turkish city early following their draw against Fenerbahce in the playoff stage. The Scottish champions, Celtic, will face Germany’s Stuttgart, while the Spanish team Celta Vigo will compete against the Greek side PAOK, and Lille from France will take on Red Star Belgrade from Serbia.