Vinicius Junior Inspires Real Madrid To Champions League Last 16 Victory Over Benfica

Vinicius Junior once again proved his worth as Real Madrid's match-winner, scoring the decisive goal to seal a 2-1 victory over Benfica at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night and secure the Spanish giants' passage to the Champions League round of 16 with a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

The Brazilian forward's winner came in the 80th minute, capping a pulsating encounter that saw Jose Mourinho's Benfica side push the record 15-time European champions to the limit. It was Vinicius who had also scored the crucial goal in the first leg in Lisbon, making it a personal double against the Portuguese outfit.

The match was played under the heavy shadow of racial abuse allegations from the first leg, where Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of directing racist comments at Vinicius—claims the Argentine youngster denies. Prestianni was conspicuously absent from the visitors' lineup after his appeal against a provisional one-match suspension was rejected by UEFA earlier in the day, with the European governing body continuing its investigation into the incident.

Real Madrid made their stance clear before kick-off, unfurling a large banner reading "no to racism" at one end of the stadium. However, this did not stop sections of the travelling Benfica supporters from booing Vinicius whenever he touched the ball.

On the pitch, Benfica started brightly and deservedly took the lead in the 14th minute. Raul Asencio's clumsy defensive touch sent the ball towards his own goal, and although Thibaut Courtois made the initial save, Rafa Silva was quickest to react and bundled home the rebound.

The setback jolted Real Madrid into action, and they levelled just two minutes later. Federico Valverde's marauding run down the right flank ended with a precise cross that Aurelien Tchouameni dispatched with conviction from the edge of the penalty area.

The French midfielder later paid tribute to his Brazilian teammate's decisive contribution. "That is our Vinicius," Tchouameni told Movistar. "To be honest, we didn't start the game very well but we kept our confidence."

Real Madrid thought they had taken the lead on the night when Arda Guler converted a rebound after Gonzalo Garcia's initial effort was blocked, but VAR intervened to rule the Spanish striker offside by the narrowest of margins.

Benfica continued to threaten, with Silva striking the crossbar via a deflected effort before the hour mark. The visitors' enterprise was causing Real Madrid significant problems, and the hosts suffered a further blow when Asencio was stretchered off following a collision with Eduardo Camavinga.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa provided an update on the stricken defender: "It's his neck, but it doesn't seem like it will be that bad. He's being taken to hospital for tests."

With the tie hanging in the balance, Valverde once again proved the architect, releasing Vinicius with a perfectly weighted pass. The Brazilian kept his composure, calmly rolling a low shot past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to effectively end the contest.

True to form, Vinicius celebrated with his signature dance by the corner flag—a gesture that had sparked controversy in the first leg but this time was met with wild celebrations from the home faithful.

"I'm happy that Vini's dancing, still dancing, because it means he's scoring goals," said Courtois after the match.

Coach Arbeloa also heaped praise on his star forward: "He had a great game—unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on."

The victory marks another chapter in Real Madrid's storied European history and sets up a last-16 tie that will test their credentials for a 16th continental crown. For Vinicius Junior, it was yet another demonstration of his ability to deliver when it matters most, silencing the detractors in the most emphatic fashion possible.