Real Madrid v Benfica: Champions League knockout round playoff, second leg – live

Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid – Real Madrid booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win on the night and a 3-1 aggregate success over Benfica, yet the scoreline flattered the hosts, who were outplayed for long stretches and required an 82nd-minute solo strike from Vinícius Júnior to settle nerves that had spread through the stadium like wildfire.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side, lethargic and error-strewn for more than an hour, never found the fluency that carried them through the group phase, but the individual brilliance of their Brazilian forward proved enough to extinguish a spirited Benfica revival. The Portuguese champions, trailing 2-1 from the first leg, controlled possession, pressed high and created the clearer chances, only to run out of steam once Vinícius raced clear, rounded the exposed Anatoliy Trubin and drilled a low, precise finish inside the far post.

The goal came against the run of play. Until that moment Benfica had threatened through Rafa Silva, whose deflected drive skimmed the crossbar on the hour, and Schjelderup, who forced Courtois into a fingertip save from a corner. Real, by contrast, looked every inch a side struggling for rhythm: passes went astray, movement looked laboured and the Bernabéu crowd whistled after a sequence that saw Alexander-Arnold sky a diagonal over the stand and Rudiger head a presentable chance over.

The match turned on a single lapse. With nine minutes remaining, Valverde intercepted a loose pass and slipped Vinícius into space behind the Benfica back line. The forward carried the ball 40 metres, delayed his shot long enough to send Trubin to ground, then slid the ball home to spark celebrations that felt more like relief than triumph. From there Madrid saw out seven minutes of stoppage time without alarm, substitutes Alaba and Mastantuono helping to steady a defence that had wobbled all evening.

Benfica leave the competition with pride restored after a limp first-leg display. Roger Schmidt’s men pressed relentlessly, forced ten corners and matched Madrid physically, but they lacked a cutting edge when it mattered most. Their best chance of the tie came moments before Vinícius struck, when Schjelderup’s low cross found Rafa Silva, whose clever back-flick drifted inches wide of the far post.

The victory sets up a last-16 meeting with either Manchester City or Sporting CP, while Benfica must content themselves with memories of Trubin’s dramatic headed equaliser on matchday eight that sealed their path to the knockout phase. For Madrid, the performance will prompt as many questions as answers, yet the competition’s most decorated club remain on course for a record-extending 16th European Cup.

Vinícius, who also scored the decisive goal in Lisbon, finishes the playoff as the tie’s standout performer. His solo effort was one of only two Madrid shots on target in the entire second half, underlining the extent to which his individual spark masked a collective malaise. Whether Ancelotti can coax more cohesion before the next round remains to be seen; for now, Madrid live to fight another day.

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