Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinícius Jr. seals progress as Mbappé injury clouds win
The real madrid - benfica tie ended 2-1 at the Bernabéu, 3-1 on aggregate, to send Real Madrid into the Champions League round of 16, but the night was overshadowed by an unexpected absence: Kylian Mbappé was ruled out with a nagging knee issue and manager Álvaro Arbeloa could not provide a recovery timeline.
Real Madrid - Benfica at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid defeated Benfica 2-1 at the Bernabéu to win the tie 3-1 on aggregate, advancing to the Champions League round of 16. Vinícius Jr., who scored the first-leg winner, curled the ball into the bottom corner to seal his side's progress in the knockout stages. Rafa Silva tapped in for Benfica in the match, but Aurélien Tchouaméni swept home two minutes later to restore the aggregate lead after Real had won the first leg 1-0.
Mbappé sidelined with knee discomfort
Mbappé, 27, was an unexpected absence for Los Blancos in Wednesday's fixture after he could not complete training on the eve of the match and was ruled out because of a nagging knee issue. Arbeloa said the forward "had to leave training yesterday, and on other days he has felt discomfort, " noting Mbappé has made several trips in and out of the infirmary over the last eight weeks.
Arbeloa: wait until the discomfort disappears
Arbeloa said medical staff and the player agreed it was best for Mbappé "to stop and recover 100%, so he can return in top form and confidence without discomfort for what’s ahead. " The manager would not specify a timeline and added that Mbappé will be out "for as long as it takes his 'discomfort to disappear. '" He said: "Let’s see if it’s a matter of days, and hopefully, it won’t take too long, but we’ll take the necessary time for Mbappé to regain confidence and for the discomfort to disappear. "
Injuries, allegations and the match fallout
Madrid's Raúl Asencio was withdrawn on a stretcher after an accidental aerial clash with team-mate Eduardo Camavinga. The match also followed last week's controversy in the tie: Vinícius Jr. alleged he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni in the first leg, an accusation Prestianni denied; Prestianni was suspended by UEFA tonight after an appeal was dismissed.
What this means for the knockout draw and the wider Champions League
Keeping Mbappé sidelined was framed by Arbeloa as a precaution given the important schedule ahead. Real Madrid will learn its opponent in the round of 16 in Friday's draw, and the club could face either Manchester City or Sporting CP. The competition now has 16 teams remaining in the 2025-26 Champions League, with six clubs from the Premier League among them and Atalanta the only Italian representative this season. On past meetings, Real and Manchester City have met 15 times, with five wins each and five draws; Pep Guardiola's side won the last meeting 2-1 in Madrid in this season's group phase.
"Now it gets serious in the Champions League, " the coverage of the competition noted, and the knockouts return in March for the last 16. Arbeloa warned that rushing Mbappé back could risk a longer absence, and the club reiterated the priority is to get the France international back to 100% so he can be at his best when it matters most.
For now, Real advance after the real madrid - benfica tie and await Friday's draw while recovery and medical assessments continue for Mbappé and the club manages Asencio's stretcher withdrawal in its immediate aftermath.
