Vinicius Jr seals Champions League progression as Real Madrid overcome Benfica scare | OneFootball

Real Madrid booked their place in the Champions League last 16 after defeating Benfica in the second leg of their knockout round play-off at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Lisbon, Madrid completed the job with a 2-1 win on the night to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

The build-up centred on Vinicius Junior following allegations of racist abuse during the first leg. He was supported by the home crowd before kick-off.

Benfica struck first on the pitch. Rafa Silva reacted quickest after Thibaut Courtois parried an attempted clearance, turning the loose ball home to level the tie on aggregate inside 15 minutes.

Madrid responded almost immediately. Aurelien Tchouameni stepped forward from midfield and curled a precise finish into the corner for his first Champions League goal.

The equaliser settled nerves but did not end Benfica’s threat. The Portuguese side continued to press, forcing Courtois into important saves and testing Madrid’s defensive structure.

Madrid were without Kylian Mbappe and lacked fluency in the final third.

Arda Guler briefly thought he had given Madrid the lead on the night, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.

The contest remained open entering the final quarter, with Benfica still one goal away from forcing extra time.

Madrid eventually sealed the win with ten minutes remaining. Federico Valverde intercepted a loose pass in midfield and released Vinicius in behind the defence.

The forward drove into the box and finished clinically across the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.

It was his sixth goal in five matches and effectively ended the tie.

Benfica continued to push late on but lacked the cutting edge required to overturn the deficit.

Madrid managed the closing stages professionally to secure qualification. They will face either Manchester City or Sporting CP in the next round.