There is no Gianluca Prestianni at the Bernabeu due to suspension while UEFA investigates racism allegations. No Jose Mourinho on the coaching bench. But there is Vinicius Junior, and that's enough.
In a context where all eyes were on him, Vinicius responded with a decisive goal in the 80th minute, helping Real Madrid win a ticket to the Champions League round of 16 with a total score of 3-1 (won 2-1 in the second leg).
Real is not playing well. They are even less convincing than in the first leg in Lisbon. With their current form, many doubts have arisen about the Royal team's ability to go deep. But no one doubts Vinicius's qualities.
After the super product at Estadio da Luz - a match where he affirmed that he was racist - the Brazilian striker continued to speak up in Madrid. Receiving a through ball from Federico Valverde, Vinicius accelerated past Benfica's defense before coldly defeating Anatoliy Trubin. He moved towards the corner flag, recreating a celebration that had been criticized by Mourinho, and gave a challenging smile.
In the context of Kylian Mbappe's absence due to a persistent knee injury and Jude Bellingham not being able to return before April, Real Madrid placed full faith in Vinicius. And he did not disappoint them.
Vinicius scored in 5 consecutive matches - the best streak this season and the longest in his career. Under coach Alvaro Arbeloa, he scored the same number of goals in 10 matches as in the last 33 matches under the Xabi Alonso reign - a period of many fluctuations ended in January, partly due to internal disagreements.
That is the most positive sign for Real Madrid. The player who made a great contribution to the two most recent Champions League titles (2022, 2024) has returned to his true form. But that is probably also a rare positive sign.
Because Real is still fragile. They defended loosely and lacked control in midfield against a Benfica that was not too excellent. The Portuguese team launched 12 shots, created 9 chances, reaching xG 1.98 - far exceeding Real's 1.11. Thibaut Courtois had to make four saves, including an excellent save from Richard Rios' shot.
Before the match, the southern Bernabeu stands raised banners "say no to racism" to show support for Vinicius. Conversely, away team fans whistled every time he touched the ball.
Right-back Amar Dedic had a challenging evening. In the sixth minute, Vinicius escaped after a combination with Arda Guler. Then, his cross opened up an opportunity for Guler - the goal was disallowed for offside. Before the break, he continued to stir up Benfica's defense with fierce accelerations.
In the 80th minute, the decisive moment appeared. And Real can breathe a sigh of relief. "Vinicius had a great match. He put pressure, scored, created danger. We need him. Without Kylian, we need him even more. He must be a leader" - Arbeloa said.
In the round of 16, Real Madrid will face Manchester City or Sporting CP. City is a very familiar opponent as the two teams have met in 5 of the last 6 seasons.
But if it were Man City, it would be truly a test for Real Madrid's ambition. With their current form, they are not the number one candidate, although they have won the European championship 15 times. However, when Vinicius was at his peak, they still always had a weapon that every opponent must warn of.
