Real Madrid - Benfica: real madrid - benfica win hailed as 'victory for everyone who stands against racism'

Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League last 16 after a 2-1 win over Benfica at the Bernabeu, 3-1 on aggregate, in a tie overshadowed by a racial abuse allegation and a disciplinary ban. The result matters now not only for the competition but for the response from players and fans after allegations directed at Gianluca Prestianni.

Scoreline, Bernabeu and aggregate advance

Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 at the Bernabeu to advance 3-1 on aggregate and reach the Champions League round of 16. The Spanish side had taken a 1-0 advantage in the first leg when Vinicius Jr scored the only goal in that match; the return leg finished 2-1 on the night.

Goals, sequence and Vinicius Jr's celebrations

Rafa Silva opened the scoring on the night for Benfica before Aurelien Tchouameni swept home two minutes later to level and restore the aggregate lead; Tchouameni's strike came in the first half. Vinicius Jr, who had scored the first-leg winner, curled a second-leg effort into the bottom corner in the 80th minute to seal Real's progress. Vinicius celebrated by dancing near the corner flag in the first leg and repeated that celebration after his 80th-minute strike; he later posted on social media that "the dance goes on. "

Allegation, Prestianni denial and UEFA ban

Vinicius Jr alleged he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg; Prestianni has denied the claim. Prestianni was subsequently handed a one-match ban and missed Wednesday's return leg. An appeal was dismissed and Prestianni was suspended by UEFA.

Injury: Raul Asencio stretchered off after clash with Eduardo Camavinga

Real Madrid's Raul Asencio was withdrawn on a stretcher after an accidental aerial clash with team-mate Eduardo Camavinga. The withdrawal was described as following an accidental collision and Asencio left the field on a stretcher.

Players, coaches and public reaction

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni described the win as "a victory for everyone who stands against racism" and said, "I think there are more important things than this match, than football. " Tchouameni, who scored Real's first-half equaliser, added that "Vinicius keeps his confidence and he keeps focused on what he needs to do" and said, "I think they made the right decision by not letting the boy [Prestianni] play this match. " He finished: "Like I said, there are things more important than football and this is a victory for all of us. "

Real Madrid and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said Vinicius had been his usual self before the fixture, "very chilled" and "very relaxed, " and that "He didn't need to score to send a message or show his mentality. " Alexander-Arnold added, "He doesn't need to prove anything to anyone because he's shown time and time again how good he is. He steps up when we need him the most. He knows his quality and what he brings to the team. "

Former Chelsea forward Joe Cole said Vinicius had been "brilliant over both legs" and that "His finish was superb. " Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa said he reacted "with joy obviously, for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it. " Home fans showed visible support for Vinicius before kick-off by displaying a banner with the words "no to racism" in Spanish.

What the win means for the Champions League and next opponents

With this result, 16 teams remain in the 2025-26 Champions League. Six of those teams are from the Premier League, and Atalanta is the competition's only representative from Italy. England has six clubs in the last 16 for the first time. Real Madrid might face Sporting CP in the last 16 or could be drawn against Manchester City; Real's meetings with City total 15 encounters dating back to 2012, 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. Observers noted that "now it gets serious in the Champions League, " and that some teams would fancy their chances unless Real get a few of their big players back from injury. One match report framed the result as "Real Madrid 2 Benfica 1 (3-1 agg): Vinicius Jr seals Madrid’s progress, but where was Mourinho?"