Real Madrid win 2-1 at the Bernabéu to seal Champions League last-16 place
real madrid beat Benfica 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the return leg to advance to the Champions League round of 16 on a 3-1 aggregate. The victory hinged on a first-half strike from Aurelien Tchouaméni and a late, individual goal from Vinicius, with several decisive interventions shaping the outcome.
Real Madrid at the Bernabéu: final score and aggregate
The home side recorded a 2-1 win in the match and progressed 3-1 overall. The tie will be decided in the round-of-16 draw on Friday, where Manchester City or Sporting de Portugal await as possible opponents. Thibaut Courtois offered a narrow forecast about the draw ahead of Friday’s ceremony, predicting Manchester City would be picked.
Goals timeline: Pavlidis build-up, Tchouaméni strike and Vinicius finish
The game opened with Benfica pressing high and taking an early lead in the 14th minute after Pavlidis received a ball in space and played it across the area; a touch from Asencio sent the ball toward his own goal, Courtois parried the initial shot and Rafa Silva reacted to the rebound to level the tie. Madrid regained the lead later in the first half when Aurelien Tchouaméni hit a shot from the edge of the area following a pass back from Federico Valverde. In the 80th minute Vinicius produced a fine individual strike to seal the match.
Asencio collision, stretchered canterano and nine minutes added
A heavy collision between Camavinga and a central canterano prompted a major stoppage: the youth defender was withdrawn on a stretcher after suffering what was described as a serious scare and the incident occurred in the 78th minute. Álvaro (unclear in the provided context) and teammates showed visible concern as the player left the pitch. Roberto Asencio said his injury appeared to involve the neck, that it did not seem grave and that he had gone to hospital, and the referee added nine minutes of stoppage time to account for the lengthy interruption.
Courtois saves, Benfica chances and match interventions
Courtois produced a crucial parry to stop the early danger and prevent Benfica from taking the tie to extra time; later in the match Benfica struck the crossbar when Rafa Silva’s second-half effort came off the woodwork. A disallowed Arda Güler goal past the half-hour mark—ruled out because Gonzalo was offside before the Turkish forward’s finish—also removed a potential swing in momentum. A youth player from Madrid committed a tactical foul to halt a promising Portuguese move and received a yellow card for that intervention.
Manager and player reactions, substitutions and wider reactions
Coach Arbeloa praised Vinicius’s influence, saying that with a player like Kylian on the opposite flank Madrid needed Vinicius even more, and he expressed hope that Asencio’s trip to hospital would be only a scare. Tchouaméni described a slow start but said the team gained confidence and adjusted as the game progressed, praising Vinicius for his impact. Commentators and club figures reacted strongly: Tomás Roncero celebrated the win and the qualification with notable euphoria, while Lucía Taboada wrote that the Bernabéu, “built for excess, ” has not seen that complete extravagance this season but that the club’s youth development was visibly paying off.
Substitutions changed the dynamic late on: Gonzalo and Arda Güler were replaced by Palacios and Pitarch. A Schjelderup cross produced a close call when a Portuguese player attempted a heel flick finish. The former Benfica coach José Mourinho watched the defeat from his team’s bus at the stadium. Observers also singled out Tchouaméni’s performance as being at a very high level and Courtois’s goalkeeping as decisive in preventing Benfica from forcing extra time.
What makes this notable is that a tight sequence of events—a 14th-minute rebound goal, Tchouaméni’s finish from distance and a late solo effort by Vinicius—combined with a long injury stoppage and key saves to deliver a measured passage to the last 16 for Madrid.
Sealed on home soil, the result leaves real madrid preparing for the Friday draw and a last-16 opponent that will be one of two strong contenders: Manchester City or Sporting de Portugal.
