Real Madrid are through to the Champions League round of 16 after a 2:1 home win against Benfica Lisbon, winning 3:1 on aggregate. In a hard-fought match at the Bernabéu, goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vinícius Júnior turned the game around after an early deficit, before the match lost intensity in the closing stages.
After the first leg, Los Blancos were leading 1:0 thanks to Vinícius Júnior’s goal. The victory, however, was overshadowed by accusations of racism, with the goalscorer accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. UEFA has provisionally suspended Prestianni for the second leg while the case is investigated. The second leg also saw a temporary change on the bench, with João Tralhão taking charge in place of José Mourinho, who had been sent off in the first encounter.
While the home team had to do without top scorer Kylian Mbappé due to a lateral ligament injury to his knee, Vinícius Júnior was in excellent form. The Brazilian had scored in the last four games in a row and was also the only goalscorer for Madrid in last weekend’s 2:1 defeat to Osasuna in LaLiga. Portugal’s most successful team, on the other hand, had recorded a resounding league victory against AVS and was in top form. The visitors had lost only one of their last seven games, namely the first leg of the play-offs against Real Madrid.
The Portuguese runners-up were confident at the Bernabéu and played offensively from the start. They were not afraid to move into the opposition’s half and disrupt the Royal’s build-up play. As a result, the first dangerous shots on goal came from the visitors from Lisbon. Real Madrid, by contrast, started the game deep in their own half to protect the lead from the first leg.
The Spanish defence, however, failed to intercept a perfectly weighted through ball from Benfica’s Richard Rios to Vangelis Pavlidis, allowing the Eagles’ top scorer to deliver a cross into the six-yard box from the right. Instead of finding a Lisbon striker, the ball fell to Madrid defender Raúl Asencio, who tried to clear it but deflected it toward his own goal. Although Thibaut Courtois managed to parry the effort, Rafa Silva reacted quickest to the rebound and slotted home in the 14th minute to give Benfica a 1:0 lead.
The home side did not give up easily. Just a few minutes later, Madrid benefited from a high ball win, quickly transitioned into attack, and moved into a dangerous position with a pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni. Federico Valverde played the ball into the back of the box, where Tchouaméni was ready again and calmly finished from twenty metres to level the score.
The two early goals really got the game going. The spectators at the Bernabéu were treated to a lively exchange, with both teams playing actively in attack and regularly moving into each other’s penalty areas. During this intense phase, Arda Güler even scored for Real Madrid, but the goal was disallowed due to Gonzalo García being offside in the build-up.
As the game progressed, the balance of power shifted slightly. In the minutes before half-time, Real Madrid established themselves as the stronger team, while Lisbon mostly looked to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. Over time, their high and aggressive pressing eased off, and the hosts began to put more sustained pressure on their opponents.
After the break, the Royals initially continued where they had left off. The second-placed team in LaLiga created the first chances of the second half. In the 56th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold came close to making it 2:1, but his shot from a tight angle went just wide of the far left post. Benfica, by contrast, lacked punch and were unable to dominate the game after the break. With the home team no longer willing to take many risks as the pressure eased and the aggregate score stood at 2:1, the game gradually lost momentum and the excitement from the first half faded.
A scene in the closing 15 minutes provided a bitter moment for Madrid. Álvaro Arbeloa will probably have to do without his centre-back Asencio in upcoming games, as he had to be carried off the pitch after around 75 minutes following a collision with Eduardo Camavinga, with both players going down.
Shortly afterwards, Vinícius Júnior sealed the victory. Ten minutes from time, the striker latched onto a deep pass from captain Valverde into space in front of the box, aimed for the far corner past Lisbon keeper Anatolij Trubin, and scored for the fifth consecutive game and the third time in this Champions League campaign. He marked the moment with his trademark dance by the corner flag, a pointed celebration given the controversy surrounding the first leg and the ongoing investigation into alleged discriminatory remarks directed at him.
An exciting match, particularly in the first half, ended with a deserved 2:1 win for Real Madrid. The Spanish side advance to the Champions League round of 16 with a 3:1 aggregate score, where they will face either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City, to be decided this coming Friday. For Benfica Lisbon, the European campaign comes to an end.
Madrid’s next LaLiga match will be at home against Getafe on Monday. Benfica Lisbon travel to Gil Vicente FC on the same day for their next Primeira Liga match, where they are currently third in the standings.
