By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior put the icing on the cake with a decisive late goal as Los Blancos defeated S.L. Benfica 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The Brazilian star struck in the 80th minute, racing clear and calmly slotting past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to seal the win and send the home crowd into celebration, confirming Real Madrid’s progress from the knockout play-off tie.
Benfica stunned the Bernabéu early when Rafa Silva fired the visitors ahead in the 14th minute, briefly leveling the aggregate scoreline and silencing the home support.
However, Real Madrid responded almost immediately. Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni restored Madrid’s aggregate advantage just two minutes later with a powerful strike from distance, reasserting control over the tie.
Despite Benfica’s efforts to find another breakthrough, Madrid’s defense held firm, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing crucial saves to keep the visitors at bay.
With tension building in the closing stages, Vinícius once again proved decisive. The Brazilian forward broke through Benfica’s defensive line and finished clinically to secure the victory on the night and ensure Madrid’s safe passage to the last 16.
His goal carried symbolic significance, coming just days after he had been at the center of a racism controversy during the first leg in Lisbon, where he also scored the winning goal in Madrid’s 1-0 victory.
The victory extended Real Madrid’s remarkable record of reaching the Champions League knockout rounds in every season since the round-of-16 format was introduced in 2003-04, underlining their enduring dominance in European football.
Vinícius’ match-winning performance also reinforced his status as Madrid’s talisman on the biggest stage, having now scored in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time in his career.
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