Vinicius Junior has last laugh amid racism row as Real Madrid edge Benfica to UCL last 16

Vinícius Júnior stole the spotlight for all the right reasons as Real Madrid overcame S.L. Benfica 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win and advancing to the UEFA Champions League last 16.

The Brazilian’s composed finish not only decided the match but also marked a personal triumph following last week’s racial abuse controversy involving Gianluca Prestianni, who was suspended for this return leg.

Benfica started brightly, leveling the tie early. In the 14th minute, Rafa Silva capitalised on Raúl Asencio’s follow-up from Vangelis Pavlidis’ cut-back to give the visitors a deserved lead.

Real, rattled but determined, responded through Aurélien Tchouaméni, who expertly finished Federico Valverde’s cross to restore parity. Arda Güler briefly thought he had turned the game in Benfica’s favour, only for VAR to rule him offside.

The match remained a frantic, end-to-end contest. Thibaut Courtois made key saves, including one from Richard Ríos, while Pavlidis’ deflected effort skimmed the post.

The game took a tense turn when Asencio was stretchered off following a heavy collision with Eduardo Camavinga, pausing the momentum.

Real eventually found the breakthrough that ended Benfica’s resistance. Vinícius collected Valverde’s through ball, opened his body, and curled a precise right-footed finish past Trubin, a rare moment of brilliance in an otherwise scrappy contest.

Benfica continued to press, with Silva nearly redirecting Andreas Schjelderup’s cross, but Álvaro Carreras and the Real defence held firm.

The result extended Real Madrid’s remarkable run, reaching the Champions League last 16 in every season since 1996/97, while José Mourinho remains without a knockout victory in his last ten UCL campaigns.

For Vinícius, however, the victory provided a cathartic moment of vindication, allowing the Brazilian to reclaim the narrative and shine on the grand stage.