The new format of the UEFA Champions League offers something impossible in the previous format – three consecutive games against the same opponent. Real Madrid played Benfica in these games over the last few weeks, and finally the series is over, with Real Madrid making it to the round of 16, the difficult way, with a 2-1 win at home, thanks to goals from Aurelien Tchouaméni and Vinícius Jr.
For the first quarter-hour at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid barely existed as an attacking force. By the 15th minute, Benfica had accumulated an xT of 1.14 to the hosts’ 0.62, and their 22 touches in the final third against nine reinforced that game state. Benfica ran six first-half sequences, two of which were patient in nature. Madrid, with seven sequences in the same period, was predominantly moderate in tempo. The visitors were doing the more deliberate work.
By the half-hour mark, Benfica’s xT had grown to 2.07 against Madrid’s 0.75. Madrid’s xT rose to 1.46 by the interval, and they had edged ahead in final-third touches 65 to 56. But Benfica still went into half-time with the more threatening aggregate picture at 2.25 in xT terms.
Fredrik Aursnes finished as the highest xT-generating player on the pitch with a value of 1.284. He appeared across nearly every category: eight progressive passes, six progressive carries, two key passes, three ball recoveries, and 13 final-third touches. Benfica’s most broadly active player by some distance.
Trent Alexander-Arnold led all players from both sides in progressive passes with 14, finished second in xT gain at 1.194, made three key passes, recovered five balls, and accumulated 65 touches with 17 in the final third.
Federico Valverde made ten progressive carries, the most of any player in the match, alongside four key passes, 12 progressive passes, and an xT gain of 1.159. Andreas Schjelderup matched him on key passes with four, added four take-ons - the highest of anyone on the pitch - and registered 23 final-third touches and five progressive carries.
Tomás Araújo made 13 progressive passes from the back, second only to Alexander-Arnold, and completed 90.7 percent of his passes with an xT contribution of 0.764. Arda Güler made 11 progressive passes, six progressive carries, five recoveries, two take-ons, two key passes, and 16 final-third touches.
Aurélien Tchouaméni led all players in touches with 84, the highest figure in the match across both squads. He completed 94 percent of his passes, made eight progressive carries - second only to Valverde - and won five ball recoveries. His long-ball completion sat at 60 percent. No player touched the ball more often, and few contributed as consistently across both phases of the game.
Madrid’s 304 touches in the opponent half exceeded Benfica’s 268, and they completed 251 passes in the opponent half to Benfica’s 195. Their team pass completion of 88.9 percent sat above Benfica’s 84.5 percent, and they received the ball in advanced zones 229 times to Benfica’s 157. Benfica, however, made 13 carries into the final third to Madrid’s eight.
Madrid came out of the interval with considerably more purpose. By the 60th minute, their xT had climbed to 2.82 while Benfica’s had barely moved to 2.36, and final-third touches stood at 100 against 68 in Madrid’s favour. The 2-1 scoreline was almost certainly settled in this window.
Benfica pushed back in the closing stages. By the 90th minute, their xT had risen to 5.25 against Madrid’s 2.95, and final-third touches had equalised at 125 against 120. Their sequence data after the 75th minute shows just one moderate sequence, against Madrid’s four – two short, two moderate – suggesting Benfica were committing forward in concentrated bursts while Madrid focused on managing their lead.
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* [Real Madrid CF: Champions League](/real-madrid-cf-champions-league)