Vinícius Júnior seals it… and Real Madrid continue their continental glory quest

Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Benfica in the second leg of the playoff round leading to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League at the Santiago Bernabéu.With this result, Los Blancos advanced with a 3-1 aggregate score, having already won the first leg 1-0 away from home.Benfica struck first in the 14th minute through Rafa Silva, who capitalized on a rebound following a save by Thibaut Courtois to put the visitors ahead.Real Madrid responded swiftly, as Aurélien Tchouaméni equalized just two minutes later, finishing off a precise low cross delivered by Federico Valverde.In the second half, Vinícius Júnior sealed the win after receiving a perfectly timed through ball from Valverde, calmly slotting home to confirm Madrid’s progression to the next round.