Vinicius Jr. Delivers Magic as Real Madrid Dominate Benfica - Player Ratings Inside

Real Madrid secured a tight 2–1 triumph against Benfica in the return leg of their Champions League playoff encounter, with Vinicius Junior's precise strike confirming their advancement to the competition's round of 16.

Madrid entered with a single-goal cushion from the opening leg that had been completely dominated by reports of racist incidents directed at Vinicius by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni—who received a suspension along with coach José Mourinho for Wednesday's second meeting.

The psychological impact of the Lisbon encounter and the unavailability of top scorer Kylian Mbappé presented dual challenges for Madrid at home. Rafa Silva's early strike compounded matters for the hosts, though Aurélien Tchouaméni responded swiftly with a thunderous equalizer into the net's bottom corner.

Arda Güler believed he had sealed Madrid's turnaround but was thwarted by VAR due to an offside infringement preceding his scrambled effort, before Vinicius ultimately secured their passage with ten minutes left on the clock.

Los Blancos struggled to impress while claiming their 3–1 overall triumph but will hardly mind as they arrange a meeting with either Sporting CP or Manchester City in the following stage.

Winners and Losers

Winners and Losers

Winners

Winners

Following a distressing night at the Estádio da Luz the previous week, attention focused on Vinicius Junior as he aimed to maintain his exceptional form and carry the offensive responsibility for Madrid without Mbappé.

A worryingly weakened Madrid attacking unit depended on Vinicius to produce his signature brilliance, with a tireless opening-half performance seeing him drift to the left wing and torment Benfica's right-back Amar Dedić. Though less impactful after halftime, he delivered a crucial second goal to calm any remaining anxiety within the Santiago Bernabéu—notably celebrating his match-winning strike with a dance near the corner flag.

During a match where Madrid required calmness and a touch of class, Aurélien Tchouaméni delivered both. The French midfielder scored his inaugural Champions League goal with an elegant finish that flew past Anatoliy Trubin, while demonstrating leadership in midfield as Madrid's lackluster performance threatened an embarrassing elimination. Among the few to instill confidence.

Losers

Losers

Raúl Asencio has faced warranted criticism this campaign and did little to silence his detractors. A completely unnecessary booking highlighted an entirely unsure performance, while the Spanish defender was saved from an own goal by Thibaut Courtois's sharp reactions.

Though Asencio experienced some anxious moments for Madrid, Arda Güler's problem was rarely commanding attention. Defensively fragile early as Benfica cut through a vulnerable middle, the Turkish international couldn't compensate in attack as he faded into obscurity.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Benfica (4-4-2)

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Benfica (4-4-2)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.8: A spectacular but ultimately futile save moments before Rafa's opener was complemented by another excellent stop before the interval. Seldom challenged after the restart.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.2: Disappointed defensively in one-on-one situations—as has become typical for the English player—though delivered several impressive passes.

CB: Raúl Asencio—5.9: Yet another shaky display from the youth product gave Benfica hope during their attacking phases. A concerning injury forced the defender's removal on a stretcher with quarter-hour left.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—6.9: Supplied the assurance and authority missing from the remaining defensive unit, prevailing in most encounters with Vangelis Pavlidis and teammates.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.6: Appeared instructed to patrol the left flank freely, though this liberty created defensive gaps—one exploited for Benfica's early advantage.

RM: Federico Valverde—8.8: Demonstrated superb composure in finding Tchouaméni at the box's edge and generally excelled with a relentless complete performance.

CM: Arda Güler—7.5: Robbed of his maiden Champions League goal by Gonzalo García's offside position, contributing virtually nothing in attack beyond that.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—8.2: A magnificent strike quickly calmed tensions following Madrid's concession, with Tchouaméni proving a beacon in midfield during a poor collective showing.

LM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.6: Appeared in countless different roles and offered stability in each without ever truly excelling.

ST: Gonzalo García—6.8: Given the thankless task of matching Mbappé's production and lacked adequate supply to replicate the French star. Frequently isolated and careless when receiving the ball.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.6: Disgracefully jeered by the visiting fans but answered emphatically with a calm finish to confirm Madrid's advancement. A scarce bright moment in an injury-depleted Madrid offense.

SUB: Franco Mastantuono (77' for Camavinga)—6.5: A short and subdued appearance for the Argentine.

SUB: David Alaba (77' for Asencio)—6.3: Vinicius's goal guaranteed a comfortable evening for Alaba.

SUB: César Palacios (84' for Güler)—N/A

SUB: Thiago Pitarch (84' for García)—N/A

SUB: Fran Garca (90+1' for Carreras)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Fran González (GK), Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Jorge Cestero, Manuel Ángel, Brahim Díaz.

What the Ratings Tell Us

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Statistics Behind Real Madrid's Subdued Victory

The Statistics Behind Real Madrid's Subdued Victory