Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinícius Jr 80th-minute winner seals 3-1 aggregate as Mbappé ruled out

Real Madrid - Benfica produced a decisive late moment as Vinícius Jr drove a clinical finish in the 80th minute to secure a 2-1 win on the night and 3-1 on aggregate, sending Real through to the Champions League last 16. The match carried extra significance both on and off the pitch: Benfica had taken an early lead before Real responded quickly, and off-field events meant a key opposing player was absent from the return leg.

Real Madrid - Benfica: match timeline and key moments

Benfica struck first in the 14th minute when Rafa Silva turned in a loose ball after Thibaut Courtois prevented Raúl Asencio's attempted clearance from going into his own net. The lead lasted just two minutes: Aurélien Tchouaméni curled home from the edge of the box for his first Champions League goal to level the tie. The contest remained open until the 80th minute, when Vinícius Jr finished across the goalkeeper to restore Madrid's lead and wrap up a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Vinícius Jr, the pre-match context and stadium reaction

Vinícius Jr had been a central focus in the build-up after alleging racial abuse by Gianluca Prestianni following his goal in the first leg. Prestianni was handed a one-match ban and therefore missed the return leg. Home support for Vinícius Jr was visible before kick-off, with a banner in the stands displaying the words "no to racism" in Spanish. In the aftermath, Álvaro Arbeloa praised Vinícius Jr's character and strength.

Mbappé absent: injury timeline and manager assessment

Kylian Mbappé did not feature in the second leg as he continues to struggle with discomfort in his left knee. He had previously missed a LaLiga game with Real Sociedad on Feb. 14 and felt discomfort again in training on Tuesday. Club medical staff had been managing the issue, and coach Álvaro Arbeloa said the decision over Mbappé's absence was a consensus involving the player and the medical team; the plan was for him to stop and recover in order to return fully fit, though the coach could not specify how long that recovery would take and expressed the hope it would not be lengthy. Mbappé had played the entire first-leg win in Lisbon on Feb. 17, and his movement had appeared restricted in the recent 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Osasuna. His season figures include 23 goals in LaLiga and 13 in the Champions League. After the Benfica match, Madrid's next fixtures in the provided context are a home game with Getafe on March 2 and a visit to Celta Vigo on March 7.

Night of knockouts: other ties and extra-time drama

The night featured several dramatic ties. Atalanta beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night to win 4-3 on aggregate. Paris Saint-Germain drew 2-2 with Monaco and progressed 5-4 on aggregate. The Juventus–Galatasaray tie produced extra-time theatrics: Juventus won 3-2 in normal time, the match went to extra time and finished 3-0 in extra time for Galatasaray to prevail 7-5 on aggregate; in added minutes Yılmaz got there first and dinked past Perin to seal the decisive moment. Commentary from the stadium noted sustained late pressure, tactical shifts and decisive interventions in extra time that concluded a highly eventful European evening.

Statistics, history and what this means for the last 16

This was the sixth meeting between Real Madrid and Benfica in European Cup/Champions League competition. Real had won the first leg of the tie. Benfica are one of two sides Madrid have faced five or more times in the competition and against whom Madrid have lost more games than they have won, the other being Milan (P16 W6 D3 L7). The two sides met three times in the same season in European competition — the group phase fixture plus the first and second legs of the play-offs — marking the first time a Champions League fixture has been played three times in a row in the same season. Real Madrid have progressed from 22 of their last 23 Champions League knockout ties when they won the first leg, the sole exception in that run being a tie with Ajax in 2018-19 (2-1 first leg, 1-4 second leg). Conversely, Benfica have only once progressed from a major European knockout tie after losing the first leg at home: they lost 1-0 to Dinamo Bucuresti in the 1999-00 UEFA Cup first round and advanced by winning 2-0 away.

Additional notes on match context and fan interaction

Vinícius Jr's winner was his sixth goal in five games in the recent run noted during the match coverage. Before the opportunity to rate players had closed, the score displayed reflected the average from all user submissions. Match momentum was measured during the broadcast as the swing of the match by comparing each team's threat to see who was more likely to score in any given minute; momentum values reflected the difference between each team's most dangerous moments while the match unfolded.

Real Madrid can now look forward to a last-16 tie against either Manchester City or Sporting, with that specific opponent to be determined by events beyond the scope of the provided context. Sid Lowe was present at the Santiago Bernabéu and offered on-the-ground perspective on the evening's proceedings. Alex Kirkland contributed to coverage of the match in the provided context.