Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinicius Jr. secures progression in a night framed as a stand against racism
Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 at the Bernabéu to advance 3-1 on aggregate, a result capped by an 80th-minute goal from Vinicius Jr. that settled a tense tie and followed a highly charged first leg in which the forward alleged racial abuse. The victory carried wider resonance: players, staff and fans framed the outcome as a repudiation of racism and it came after UEFA enforcement left a Benfica player suspended.
Real Madrid - Benfica: Vinicius Jr. 's late finish and the match sequence
Benfica took the lead on the night through Rafa Silva, only for Aurelien Tchouameni to sweep home two minutes later to restore Real Madrid's aggregate advantage after Madrid had won the first leg 1-0. The scoreline remained tight until the 80th minute, when Vinicius Jr. curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 on the night and 3-1 overall, sealing Madrid's place in the Champions League last 16.
Vinicius had been the match-winner in the first leg and marked both goals with the same corner-flag celebration; after the return-leg strike he posted that "the dance goes on" on social media. Pundit Joe Cole praised his work across both legs, saying his finishing was superb and that he had been brilliant over the tie.
Aurelien Tchouameni frames the win as a stance against racism
Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni described the result as a "victory for everyone who stands against racism, " stressing that there are more important matters than football and praising Vinicius's focus and confidence. Tchouameni, who scored Madrid's first-half equaliser in the second leg, said the club had made the right decision in preventing the accused player from participating in the return match and called the outcome a collective win.
Support in the stadium underscored that message: home fans displayed a banner in Spanish reading "no to racism" ahead of kick-off and backed Vinicius throughout the night.
Gianluca Prestianni suspended after appeal dismissed by UEFA
Gianluca Prestianni, whom Vinicius accused of racial abuse in the first leg, denied the allegation. UEFA enforced a one-match suspension after dismissing an appeal, which meant Prestianni missed the return fixture. That disciplinary action followed the complaint from the first leg and directly affected Benfica's available squad for the decisive match.
Injuries, reactions and dressing-room voices
Madrid suffered a scare when Raul Asencio was withdrawn on a stretcher after an accidental aerial clash with team-mate Eduardo Camavinga; the collision forced his removal from the field. In the aftermath, former players and club staff voiced support for Vinicius and celebrated the result. Trent Alexander-Arnold said the forward had been "very chilled" and "very relaxed" before the game and did not need to score to demonstrate his mentality, while manager Alvaro Arbeloa reacted with joy for the player and the goal, saying the strike was deserved. Joe Cole added that Vinicius stepped up when needed and knows his quality.
Champions League implications and the path ahead
The win sends Real Madrid into the Champions League last 16, where 16 teams remain in the 2025-26 competition. Six of those sides are representatives from the Premier League, and Italy is left with a single club, Atalanta, as its sole remaining participant. Real could draw Sporting CP or potentially Manchester City in the next round; historically Real and City have five wins apiece and five draws from their 15 meetings that date back to 2012, and Pep Guardiola's team won their most recent meeting 2-1 in Madrid during the group phase.
The draw for the Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, with the knockout ties returning in March. The timing matters because Real may still be waiting on the returns of several key players from injury, a factor that could influence prospects should they face a side like Manchester City.
What makes this notable is that the on-field result and the disciplinary decisions off it intertwined: the penalty imposed on Prestianni removed him from the return leg, which both narrowed Benfica's options and amplified the match's focus beyond pure sporting stakes. The win will therefore be measured not only by scorelines and progression but by how players, officials and supporters respond to the episode that began in the first leg.
