Real Madrid Vs Benfica: Vinicius Decisive as Real Reach Champions League Last 16 After 2-1 Win (3-1 agg)
In the latest Champions League tie, real madrid vs benfica finished 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate, sending Real Madrid through to the last 16 after a decisive finish by Vinicius Jr. The win came amid a continuing disciplinary process stemming from allegations made after the first leg in Lisbon.
Real Madrid Vs Benfica — match events and key moments
Benfica opened the scoring and levelled the tie through Rafa Silva after 14 minutes. Aurelien Tchouameni then equalised for Real with a powerful strike from distance, restoring Madrid's advantage. The decisive moment arrived late when Vinicius Jr ran through on goal and sealed a 2-1 victory on the night and 3-1 on aggregate; he celebrated with a dance by the corner flag.
Vinicius scored the match-winner around the 80th minute (ten minutes remaining), a finish that carried clear emotional weight for the home crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real fans had displayed banners reading "No to racism" and "Respect" before kick-off, and those messages were read out as the players took the field. Vinicius had started the second leg eight days after the first leg in Lisbon.
With the win, Real Madrid advanced to face either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City in the last 16.
Racial abuse allegation, disciplinary action and match fallout
The tie remains shadowed by an incident from the first leg in Lisbon in which Vinicius Jr alleged he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni. Prestianni denies the allegation. Following the first leg, UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator (EDI) and imposed a provisional suspension on Prestianni, ruling him out of the second-leg tie even though he travelled with the Benfica squad.
Benfica appealed the provisional suspension, but UEFA dismissed the club's appeal on Wednesday afternoon and left Prestianni provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible. UEFA described the imposition of the provisional suspension as being without prejudice to any subsequent disciplinary rulings after the investigation concludes.
The first-leg match featured a dramatic stoppage: Vinicius had given Real the lead with an individual strike five minutes into the second half from a tight angle, celebrated, then became visibly upset by something said to him and informed the referee. He subsequently left the field and refused to return, producing a stoppage in play that lasted 10 minutes. In the build-up to the second leg win, Vinicius posted "the dance goes on" on his Instagram account.
Mourinho suspension, reactions and criticism
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho was suspended from the second leg after being sent off in Lisbon. Mourinho was criticised for suggesting that Vinicius had provoked the abuse by celebrating towards Benfica fans and for saying that "in a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always. " Because of his suspension he did not hold a pre-match or post-match press conference and watched the second leg from the stands as Benfica were eliminated.
Mourinho's comments drew public criticism from Vincent Kompany, and the anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out specifically criticised his remarks and used the phrase "gaslighting" in response.
Match context and related coverage snippets
The game was featured alongside a series of short video segments and headlines in wider sports coverage. These included a highlights piece labelled "He was always going to score - Real beat Benfica to reach last 16" (00: 03: 10); "Mourinho 'got it wrong' - McCarthy" (00: 01: 07); "We can never do too much - Slot wants football to do more against racism" (00: 01: 02); and "The tone was set by Mourinho - Benfica criticised by Kick It Out" (00: 01: 54).
Other adjacent video segments listed in the same coverage run included: "Meet Britain's youngest driver making his F1 debut" (00: 01: 16); "Spurs' league position is a 'big concern' - Rooney" (00: 02: 16); "It's the ultimate role - Carrick on Man Utd job" (00: 03: 16); "Team GB's curlers discuss winning silver on breakfast" (00: 00: 44); "Shouldn't be in the game - Rosenior wants stronger racism penalties" (00: 02: 12); "Past Kane & chasing Mbappe - why Gordon is lethal in Europe" (00: 02: 14); "Williams and White react to fans' WSL hot takes" (00: 05: 36); "Boxing rivalry is one thing, humanity is another - Fury" (00: 00: 57); "Playing to be seen - how sport helps India's Siddi community from social isolation" (00: 03: 55); "Fury says latest comeback is 'to make boxing great again'" (00: 01: 27); and "Officials need VAR after FA Cup mistakes - Rooney" (00: 02: 46).
What happens next
The disciplinary process tied to the Lisbon incident is ongoing and UEFA's investigation and any subsequent disciplinary rulings remain pending. Recent updates indicate the provisional suspension for Gianluca Prestianni stands and Benfica's appeal was dismissed; details of any final rulings may evolve as the investigation proceeds.
