Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Jr. scored to help Real Madrid fight back for a 2-1 win over Benfica and book their Champions League last-16 spot with a 3-1 aggregate win in the knockout round playoff.
Real, who won last week's first leg 1-0 in a match marred by Vinicius accusing Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him, will face Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon in the next round.
⚽GOAL
Real Madrid 1-1 Benfica (agg 2-1)
An instant response from the hosts as Tchouameni fires home with a fine finish
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Benfica started brightly and went ahead in the 14th minute when Rafa Silva reacted quickest to turn in a rebound from close range, but Real responded almost immediately.
Gonzalo combined neatly with Federico Valverde on the right wing and the Uruguayan cut the ball back to Tchouameni, who guided a low shot inside the right post in the 16th minute.
The tie remained wide open until the 80th minute when Valverde won a loose ball in midfield and released Vinicius with a precise pass.
The Brazilian forward beat the offside trap, surged into the box and slotted into the far corner to send the record 15-times European champions into the next round.
⚽GOAL
Real Madrid 2-1 Benfica (agg 3-1)
Vini Junior continues his scoring streak with a cool finish and Madrid look well-placed now to advance
📺Live Champions League coverage on @rte2 and @RTEplayer
📱Play-off round updates https://t.co/Enr4MLkVfG pic.twitter.com/LjG3Msvwdw
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 25, 2026