Champions League drama as Real Madrid overturn early setback to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and march into the knockout stage.
Real Madrid showed their trademark resilience on Wednesday night, coming from behind to beat Benfica 2-1 and secure a 3-1 aggregate win.
Despite carrying a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, Madrid were stunned early when Rafa Silva fired Benfica ahead in the 14th minute after pouncing on a rebound.
But the response was immediate. A slick move down the right saw Federico Valverde combine with Gonzalo before setting up Aurelien Tchouameni, who calmly slotted home just two minutes later.
With the tie hanging in the balance, it was Vinicius Jr. who delivered the decisive blow in the 80th minute—timing his run perfectly, beating the offside trap, and finishing coolly into the far corner.
The 15-time European champions now advance to the Champions League last-16, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon.
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