Real Madrid - Benfica: real madrid - benfica tie ends 3-1 as Vinicius seals progress
Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Wednesday and advanced 3-1 on aggregate in the Champions League, closing a tie shadowed by an allegation of racial abuse from the first leg. The real madrid - benfica result matters not only for qualification but for the players and fans who pushed back against the incident that followed the opening match.
Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinicius Jr seals Madrid’s progress with a second-leg strike
Vinicius Jr, who scored the winner in the first leg, curled his finish into the bottom corner in the return match to give Real breathing space and seal progress to the last 16. He celebrated the goal in the same way he did after the first leg, dancing near the corner flag, and later posted on social media that "the dance goes on. " The Bernabeu victory completed a 3-1 aggregate win for the Spanish side.
Tchouameni equaliser and Rafa Silva’s quick reply turned the night
Benfica took the lead on the night through Rafa Silva's tap-in, but Aurelien Tchouameni swept home two minutes later to restore Real Madrid's aggregate advantage. Tchouameni also scored the first-half equaliser and described the outcome as "a victory for everyone who stands against racism, " saying "there are more important things than this match, than football. " He added that Vinicius "keeps his confidence" and suggested the club had made the right call by not allowing Gianluca Prestianni to play in the return leg.
Prestianni suspension, denial and the stadium message before kick-off
Vinicius had alleged he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni in the first leg; Prestianni has denied the claim. Prestianni was handed a one-match ban and missed Wednesday's return leg, and was suspended by UEFA after an appeal was dismissed. Before kick-off at the Bernabeu, home fans displayed a banner bearing the words "no to racism" in Spanish.
Injury scare as Raul Asencio stretchered off after aerial clash with Eduardo Camavinga
Real Madrid suffered an injury concern when Raul Asencio was withdrawn on a stretcher following an accidental aerial clash with team-mate Eduardo Camavinga. The nature and expected recovery timeline for Asencio's condition are unclear in the provided context.
Voices from the squad and former players on Vinicius’s performance
Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa reacted with clear pleasure at Vinicius's contribution, saying he reacted "with joy obviously, for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it. " England and Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said Vinicius had been "very chilled" and "very relaxed" before the fixture and added, "He didn't need to score to send a message or show his mentality. " Former Chelsea forward Joe Cole praised Vinicius's impact over both legs, calling him "brilliant" and saying his finish was "superb. "
What the result means for the Champions League last 16
With Real Madrid through, 16 teams remain in the 2025-26 Champions League, and six of those are from the Premier League. England has six Premier League teams in the last 16 for the first time. Italy, which once regularly supplied three clubs to this stage between 2005 and 2012, has just one representative this season: Atalanta, as it was last season. Real Madrid could be drawn against Sporting CP in the last 16 or face Manchester City in a renewal of a modern rivalry. Across their history to 2012 and since, Real and Manchester City have met 15 times with five wins apiece and five draws; Pep Guardiola's side won the last meeting 2-1 in Madrid in this season's group phase. Observers of the tie suggested that, based on Wednesday's evidence, City would fancy their chances again unless Real can get a few of their big players back from injury. After a couple of weeks of play-off ties, the Champions League now moves towards the last 16, which returns in March.
