The first leg was overshadowed by the unfortunate incident between Vinicius and Gianluca Prestianni, when racism once again became the focus. Vinicius's classy goal helped Los Blancos take a slim advantage, but they entered the game very erratically in the rematch.
In the 14th minute, the total score was equalized when Rafa Silva opened the scoring for the away team. Raul Asencio cleared the ball indecisively after Vangelis Pavlidis' cross, creating an opportunity for Silva to rush in and volley.
However, Real Madrid immediately responded. From Federico Valverde's accurate cross, Aurelien Tchouameni unleashed a beautiful one-touch volley to equalize. Arda Guler once put the ball into the net from close range, but VAR refused due to a close offside.
The game took place at high speed, and the home team had to thank Thibaut Courtois for his miraculous save against Richard Rios' shot at the end of the first half.
After the break, the two teams continued to play tit-for-tat. Trent Alexander-Arnold broke through and then shot wide of the post by a hair's breadth, while Silva's shot changed direction and hit the crossbar. Real was uncertain and almost paid the price when Pavlidis shot wide of the goal.
At the right time when Real Madrid needed a morale boost, Vinicius shone. Receiving Valverde's through ball, he accelerated and then finished delicately with his right foot, defeating Anatoliy Trubin.
In the end, Alvaro Arbeloa's team advanced to the Champions League round of 16. In the opposite direction, Jose Mourinho extended his 10-match winless streak in the Champions League knockout round (4 draws, 6 losses).
For Benfica, this is the 8th time in the last 9 times they have been eliminated after losing the first leg at home in European knockout matches.
Results of some other notable matches:
Atalanta 4-1 Dortmund
PSG 2-2 Monaco
Juventus 3-2 Galatasaray
