Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinicius Jr winner sends Real into last 16 — Mbappé absence reshapes immediate fixtures

What changes now is simple: Real Madrid advance to the Champions League last 16 but do so without their injured star, and the club must navigate a tricky run of games with one fewer attacking option. Real Madrid - Benfica ended 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate after Vinicius Jr’s 80th-minute winner at the Bernabéu, while Kylian Mbappé remained sidelined with a knee problem that has already cost him several matches.

Immediate consequences for Real’s season and squad planning

Here’s the part that matters: progression into the last 16 secures another Champions League tie, but the short-term calendar now looks different for the manager and selection choices. The team advanced and will be paired in the last 16 with either Manchester City or Sporting, yet they must do so while coping with a reduced attacking pool because Mbappé is unavailable and another key midfielder is injured.

Real Madrid - Benfica: match turning points and stadium moments

At the Bernabéu Benfica took the lead in the 14th minute when Rafa Silva turned in a loose ball after Thibaut Courtois had prevented Raúl Asencio’s attempted clearance from going into his own net. That lead lasted just two minutes: Aurélien Tchouaméni curled home a strike from the edge of the box for his first Champions League goal. Vinicius Jr then sealed the tie with a clinical finish across the goalkeeper in the 80th minute to make it 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.

The forward had already been the centre of attention before the game following an alleged racial abuse incident in the first leg involving Gianluca Prestianni; Vinicius scored the only goal in that earlier match. Prestianni received a one-match ban and missed the return leg, and home fans displayed a banner with the words "no to racism" in Spanish before kick-off.

How Mbappé’s knee problem changes the next fixtures

Kylian Mbappé re‑aggravated a knee injury that has sidelined him for a spell. The 27-year-old had begun 2025–26 in strong form but logged heavy minutes across club and country and the issue worsened in December. The knee problem has plagued him for the last eight weeks; he played through pain before being ruled out of several games and is now absent for the immediate run.

Early reports indicate he will miss at least the next three matches. The schedule cited around this leg included the Champions League second leg against Benfica, a La Liga home fixture against Getafe the following Monday and then a trip to Celta Vigo the weekend after. The team’s attacking threat is described as diminished without Mbappé and with Jude Bellingham also injured. It remains unclear whether Mbappé will be fit for the Champions League round of 16 if Real progress; a late fitness test for the first leg — should they face Manchester City or Sporting — is possible.

Context inside Europe and broader match-day notes

Real and Benfica met for the sixth time in the European Cup/Champions League era; the fixture sequence this season is unusual—these clubs faced each other in the group phase and then in both play-off legs, making this the first tie in Champions League history played three times in a row in the same season. Historically, Benfica are one of two sides Real have faced five or more times in the competition and against whom they have lost more games than they have won; the other side with that record is Milan (P16 W6 D3 L7).

Real have progressed from 22 of their last 23 knockout ties after winning the first leg, the lone exception being the two-leg last-16 tie against Ajax in 2018–19 (2-1 first leg, 1-4 second leg).

Match momentum is measured by comparing each team’s threat to assess who is more likely to score within a minute; the momentum value is the difference between each team’s most dangerous moment in that minute. Questions were raised about defensive approach after the game, with one pundit noting concerns over Real’s defensive "mentality. "

Other European results and live coverage notes

Live updates of the evening were later closed and a summary made available; the coverage team said goodbye after the wrap-up. Elsewhere in the knockout schedule, one tie saw a dramatic finish: a home side in Turin went 3-0 on the night to drag their game back to 5-5 on aggregate, but failed to complete the comeback when Galatasaray scored twice in extra time to move on. In another fixture, goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Davide Zappacosta and Mario Pašalić put Atalanta ahead on aggregate before Dortmund levelled Karim Adeyemi; Lazar Samardžić then scored from the spot in the 98th minute after Ramy Bensebaini was sent off. Paris drew 2-2 with Monaco to secure a 5-4 aggregate victory and a place in the round of 16.

• Match timeline: 14' Rafa Silva (Benfica), ~16' Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real, first Champions League goal), 80' Vinicius Jr (Real) — final score 2-1 (3-1 agg).

It’s easy to overlook, but the fixture sequence this season — meeting three times in succession — is an unusual pressure test both for squad rotation and for how clubs manage injuries. The real test will be how selection choices across the next three matches handle the absence of a top scorer and a wounded defensive record.

Sign-off from the live coverage team was made by Adam Hancock and Patrick Keddie after the evening’s action was summarized.