Khaberni - Real Madrid successfully secured their spot in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Benfica in the second leg of the playoffs, which took place at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, leveraging their away win in Portugal with a 1-0 score, bringing the aggregate to 3-1.
Explosive Start and Early Portuguese Shock
Benfica started the match forcefully, imposing offensive pressure in the early minutes, culminated by an early goal at the 14th minute through Rafa Silva, who capitalized on a rebound inside the penalty area, igniting the atmosphere of the game and restoring the Portuguese team's hopes of overturning the score.
Tchouaméni Quickly Restores Balance
Real Madrid's response was not long delayed, as Aurélien Tchouaméni achieved an equalizer at the 16th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area following a meticulous pass from Federico Valverde, bringing relative calm back to the home side and ensuring their offensive engagement in the match.
Disallowed Goal and First Half Drama
The 32nd minute witnessed a controversial moment after Arda Güler scored a second goal for Real Madrid from a follow-up inside the penalty area, which Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic subsequently disallowed after resorting to the video assistant referee, citing an offside at the start of the play, ending the first half tied at 1-1 with Real having partial dominance in possession.
Benfica Wastes Chances and the Crossbar Denies Them a Goal
With the start of the second half, Benfica intensified their attacks in search of a second goal, and Rafa Silva missed a clear opportunity at the 60th minute when his powerful shot struck the crossbar, in one of the match's most dangerous moments that nearly shifted the balance in favor of the visitors.
Vinícius Repeats the Sting and Dance
In the 80th minute, the decisive moment came when Federico Valverde passed a fantastic through ball to Vinicius Junior, who broke away to face the goalkeeper and fired a strong shot into the right corner of the net, scoring Real Madrid's second goal, igniting the Bernabeu stands.
The Brazilian celebrated in the same manner that sparked controversy in the first leg, heading to the corner flag and dancing in the Brazilian style.
