Real Madrid booked their place in the UEFA Champions League last 16 after a 2-1 home win over S.L. Benfica. The result secured a 3-1 aggregate victory and marked Real Madrid’s seventh consecutive win at the Santiago Bernabéu this season.
The first leg had been overshadowed by an incident involving Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni, with Prestianni suspended for this match. Despite Real Madrid entering with a narrow aggregate lead, Benfica began strongly and took the lead in the 14th minute. Rafa Silva capitalised on a loose ball following Raúl Asencio’s attempt to meet Vangelis Pavlidis’ cut-back, scoring past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid responded before half-time. Aurélien Tchouaméni equalised with a first-time finish after running onto Federico Valverde’s cross. Benfica appeared to take the lead through Arda Güler, but a VAR review ruled the goal offside. Courtois later denied Richard Ríos with a strong save, keeping the score level.
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— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 25, 2026
The second half remained competitive. Silva’s deflected strike clipped the bar, and Pavlidis’ shot went narrowly wide. Benfica suffered a setback when Asencio was stretchered off after a collision with Eduardo Camavinga.
Real Madrid took the lead with a decisive goal from Vinícius Júnior. He ran onto Valverde’s through ball and finished with his right foot past Trubin. Benfica continued to create chances, with Silva nearly redirecting Andreas Schjelderup’s cross before Álvaro Carreras intervened.
The 2-1 victory ensured Real Madrid progressed to the last 16 for the 14th consecutive season. The result extended their winning run at the Bernabéu while Benfica’s European campaign came to an end. The defeat marked another knockout round setback for José Mourinho, whose side has now lost eight of nine home first-leg European knockout ties.
