Benfica return to Champions League action this week as they host Real Sociedad at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday.

Real Sociedad are set for their first meeting with a Portuguese club since 1992, when they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Vitoria de Guimaraes in the UEFA Cup first-round.  

Benfica sit second in the Primeira Liga table, one point behind arch rivals Sporting CP. Roger Schmidt’s side earned a last-gasp 1-0 win at Estoril just before the international break - their seventh consecutive top-flight victory after a surprise 3-2 defeat at Boavista on the opening weekend of the campaign.

The Eagles cannot lose any more ground in their Champions League campaign. The Portuguese champions have lost their opening two games in Group D, with an unfortunate 2-0 home loss to RB Salzburg followed by a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan last time out.

Roger Schmidt needs to somehow figure out how to replicate their domestic performances on the continental stage, with their 4-1 Portuguese Cup victory over SC Lusitânia at the Estádio João Paulo II on Friday an eighth in succession on their own shores.

Failure to win at least one of the two matches against Real Sociedad would be a sharp fall from grace for Benfica, who topped their group last season ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. 

Antonio Silva was sent-off early in Benfica's Champions League opener against RB Salzburg and the Portuguese centre-back served a suspension against Inter Milan.

Danish right-back Alexander Bah, Turkish midfielder Orkun Kökçü and Argentina veteran Angel Di Maria are all recovering from injuries and remain doubtful for Tuesday.

If Angel Di Maria is not ready to feature, the Portuguese giants may look to Rafa Silva to break their scoring duck. He just scored his first goal since August and the experienced attacking midfielder will be eager to add to his tally.

Elsewhere, Juan Bernat and David Jurasek are competing for the left-back spot, while Croatian forward Petar Musa is tipped to lead the line for Benfica, even though Arthur Cabral and Casper Tengstedt both started against Lusitania on Friday.

Having won just one of their opening five games in La Liga (1-3-1), Real Sociedad have drastically improved their domestic form over the past couple of weeks. They have won four of their last five top-flight matches to climb to fifth place and are also enjoying a strong start to their Champions League campaign. 

The San Sebastian outfit finished fourth in La Liga last season - their best finish in 10 years. As a result, Real Sociedad are enjoying their first Champions League campaign since 2013-14 and third in overall (2003/04 and 2013/14).

The Txuri-urdin kicked-off their Champions League quest with a 1-1 home draw against Inter Milan and a 2-0 victory at RB Salzburg.

When it comes to their domestic games, Real Sociedad suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid prior to the international break, but they returned to winning ways with a 1-0 home victory over Mallorca on Saturday.

Imanol Alguacil had spent years as a head coach of Real Sociedad youth formations and their B squad. He was promoted to become Real Sociedad head coach in December 2018 and they have been gradually progressing over the years.

Now making their way to Lisbon, The Txuri-urdin have scored in nine consecutive matches across all competitions. Indeed, they have scored in all but one game this term - a goalless draw with Las Palmas in August.

Imanol Alguacil’s men are likely to be unchanged (from the squad that won in Salzburg) as they look to solidify their position in the Champions League.

Brais Méndez left his boyhood club Celta Vigo to join Real Sociedad last summer. He did well in his first campaign, scoring 11 goals across all competitions, including the winner for a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League group stage.

So far so good, Mendez already boasts two goals and three assists in 10 La Liga appearances this term. He has been even more prolific in the Champions League, being involved in all of Real Sociedad's three goals (scoring twice and assisting). 

Prior to the break, Mikel Oyarzabal has scored five goals in his last five matches across all competitions and the Spain international will be keen to continue his good form for Real Sociedad. 

Meanwhile, Portuguese forward Andre Silva suffered another injury setback and will miss the trip to his homeland. 

Possible Starting Lineups of Benfica and Real Sociedad

Benfica: Anatolii Trubin - Fredrik Aursnes, António Silva, Nicolás Otamendi, Juan Bernat - Orkun Kökçü, João Neves - David Neres, Rafa Silva, João Mário - Petar Musa. (4-2-3-1)

Real Sociedad: Álex Remiro - Hamari Traoré, Igor Zubeldia, Robin Le Normand, Aihen Muñoz - Brais Méndez, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi, Ander Barrenetxea - Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Oyarzabal. (4-4-2)

Having won just two of their last 19 meetings with Spanish sides (losing 9), The Eagles find themselves in a tricky situation. Still, the knowhow gained from playing in the Champions League in 13 of the last 14 seasons will play to their advantage and they should finally score in this season's group stage.

Real Sociedad, on the other hand, have won four of their last five away games in Europe (keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories) and will be keen to produce another solid defensive performance against the Portuguese champions on Tuesday night.