Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinicius seals win amid racism row as Madrid reach Champions League last 16

real madrid - benfica finished 2-1 at the Bernabeu, 3-1 on aggregate, as Vinicius Jr scored the decisive goal and teammates framed the result as "a victory for everyone who stands against racism. "

Real Madrid - Benfica: match, score and key moments

Real Madrid recovered from going 1-0 down on the night to beat Benfica 2-1 and progress to the Champions League round of 16 by a 3-1 aggregate margin. Rafa Silva tapped in for Benfica, only for Aurelien Tchouameni to sweep home two minutes later to restore the aggregate lead after Real had won the first leg 1-0.

Vinicius Jr, who scored the first-leg winner, curled his second goal into the bottom corner in the 80th minute to seal Madrid’s progress. The Brazilian celebrated both goals by dancing near the corner flag; after the return-leg strike he posted on social media that "the dance goes on. "

Racism allegation and suspension

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

Home fans showed visible support for Vinicius before kick-off when a banner with the words "no to racism" in Spanish was displayed in the stands.

Players' reactions and quotes

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

Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold described Vinicius before the fixture as "very chilled" and "very relaxed, " adding, "He didn't need to score to send a message or show his mentality. 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 on TNT Sports: "He was brilliant over both legs. His finish was superb. " Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa reacted "with joy obviously, for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it. "

Injury scare and in-game incident

Madrid's Raul Asencio was withdrawn on a stretcher after an accidental aerial clash with team-mate Eduardo Camavinga. The clash forced the substitution and removed Asencio from the match on a stretcher.

What the win means and what comes next

With the victory, Real Madrid join the 16 teams through to the 2025-26 Champions League last 16. Six of those 16 teams are from the Premier League, marking the first time England has six representatives at this stage. Italy has just one club remaining, Atalanta.

The draw for the Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, and the Champions League returns for the last 16 in March. Real Madrid could face Sporting CP or Manchester City in the next round; Pep Guardiola's side won the last meeting 2-1 in Madrid in this season's group phase, and observers noted City "would fancy their chances again unless Real get a few of their big players back from injury. "

Next on the calendar for the competition is the Friday draw for the Round of 16 and the resumption of last-16 fixtures in March.