The second leg mirrored many of Real's recent matches. The team's overall performance was underwhelming, yet individual moments of brilliance salvaged the outcome. After conceding a goal in the 14th minute, Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius scored, propelling Real to a 2-1 win and a 3-1 aggregate victory, securing their spot in the round of 16.

Real played without Kylian Mbappe due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Benfica was missing Gianluca Prestianni, who received a one-match suspension from UEFA. In the first leg, the Argentine winger was suspected of racial discrimination against Vinicius. Benfica's coach, Jose Mourinho, was also absent due to a red card in the first leg. He followed the match via television from the team bus.

Rafa Silva (in red) opened the scoring in Real's 2-1 victory over Benfica during the Champions League play-off second leg on the evening of 25/2. Photo: AS

Benfica started the match more effectively than Real. In the 14th minute, Vangelis Pavlidis broke through the home team's defense and delivered a low cross that deflected off Raul Asencio. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made an excellent save to prevent an own goal but could not stop Rafa Silva's follow-up shot.

Real equalized just two minutes after falling behind. Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni surged towards the edge of the penalty area and fired a shot that leveled the score. The ball hugged the post, making it impossible for goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to save, despite his full-stretch dive.

Tchouameni (in white) scored the equalizer in Real's 2-1 victory over Benfica during the Champions League play-off second leg on the evening of 25/2. Photo: AS

Following the two quick goals, both teams continued to engage in an exciting back-and-forth contest. In the 32nd minute, Arda Guler found the net for Benfica, but the goal was disallowed. VAR identified an offside infringement by Goncalo Garcia in the preceding build-up play. At the other end, Courtois prevented a certain goal. The Belgian goalkeeper, despite having many defenders blocking his view, managed to stretch out a hand to block a powerful shot from Richard Rios.

Benfica continued to threaten Real's goal after halftime. In the 59th minute, Rafa Silva struck a shot with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the box, but the crossbar saved the Madrid giants. Pavlidis nearly extended Benfica's lead to 2-1 in the 68th minute, but Antonio Rudiger intervened just in time, deflecting the ball wide of the post.

Real remained as vulnerable as they were in the first half. However, at a crucial moment, individual brilliance once again propelled them forward. In the 79th minute, after a pass from Federico Valverde, Vinicius broke free to face Trubin one-on-one, then slotted the ball into the far corner, sealing the 2-1 victory.

Vinicius (in white) secured the 2-1 victory for Real against Benfica in the Champions League play-off second leg on the evening of 25/2. Photo: AS

The Brazilian forward has now scored three goals in this season's Champions League. Notably, he played a decisive role in both matches against Benfica in the play-off round. The Brazilian star is also in excellent form, having scored six goals in his last five appearances across all competitions.

Depending on the draw results this weekend, Real will face either Man City or Sporting in the round of 16. Previously, they lost 1-2 to Man City in the group stage at their home stadium, Bernabeu.

Thanh Quy