The second leg of one of Europe’s most intense qualifiers kicks off tonight at the Santiago Bernabéu, as Real Madrid look to complete their move to the Champions League the round of 16 against a Benfica desperate for redemption and revenge.
LIVE – UEFA Champions League – Knockout Round Knockout
Real Madrid 2-1 Benfica
(Agg 3-1) 90’+3
Real Madrid go into the tie with a slender but crucial 1-0 aggregate advantage, courtesy of a brilliant goal from Vinícius Júnior in Lisbon last week. The Brazilian cut into the area from the left and unleashed a brilliant shot that flew into the corner just five minutes into the second half. However, what should have been celebrated as a fine individual display was almost immediately overshadowed by a much darker story.
The racism controversy that defined the first stage
After celebrating in front of the home crowd, Vinícius became suddenly and visibly upset and immediately informed the referee, accusing a member of Benfica of making a racist comment. The referee stopped the match on the line with Uefa regulations, and at one point it seemed that the trip to Lisbon could not continue.
The player at the center of the accusation is Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni. Prestianni denied he used racist language during the match, but reportedly told UEFA he used an anti-gay slur during the exchange. He has since been provisionally suspended by UEFA and dismissed Benfica’s appeal, so he will play no part tonight. Vinícius wrote that “racists are mostly cowards” on social media after the game.
There were more stoppages at the end of an ugly night in which water bottles and other missiles were rained down on Real players from the home fans in the final minutes.
Mourinho expelled, Mbappé out
The drama doesn’t end there. Benfica coach Jose Mourinhowho is also suspended for the second leg, has been criticized for criticizing Vinícius for his effusive goal celebration. Mourinho, who has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabéu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, was sent off during the first leg for vituperative complaints about referees from the touchline.
“I can’t communicate with the team,” Mourinho said. “It’s hard for me, but my teammates and my assistants are there. They’re going to do their job.”
As for Real Madrid, the biggest absentee of the night is Kylian Mbappé. The star forward suffered a setback to his left knee during Tuesday’s training session, prompting the decision to rule him out entirely – he won’t even be available as a substitute. He had assisted Vinícius’ goal in the first leg.
Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao and Rodrygo are also unavailable for Madrid, while centre-back Dean Huijsen is a major doubt after missing the weekend’s La Liga defeat at Osasuna with a muscle problem.
The Alignments
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has named a 4-4-2 squad for tonight: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raul Asensio, Antonio Rüdiger, Alvaro Carreras; Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Aurelien Chouamen, Eduardo Camavinga; Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Jr.
Benfica, meanwhile, line up in their familiar 4-2-3-1: Anatoliy Trubin; Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, Samuel Dahl, Amar Dedic; Richard Rios, Leandro Barreiro; Rafa Silva, Andreas Schjelderup, Fredrik Aursnes; Vangelis Pavlidis.
A tale of two clubs in contrasting form
Benfica arrive at the Bernabéu having lost just one of their last seven games, which is the first leg, with a record that also includes five wins and a draw. Vangelis Pavlidis is their top scorer with 28 goals in all competitions.
The history between these two clubs dates back to the golden age of European football. One of the most memorable encounters came in the 1961/62 European Cup final, where Benfica defeated Real Madrid 5-3 in a legendary match that symbolized the Portuguese side’s rise to the continental stage. Benfica have won both meetings in the modern era with Madrid this season, before the playoffs began.
What’s at stake?
The winner of this tie will go through to the Champions League round of 16 draw on Friday, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting CP. For Real Madrid, a record 15 European champions, progress to the round of 16 is the minimum expectation. For Benfica, reversing the deficit without their coach in the dugout and without Prestianni on the pitch would rank among the great European comebacks.
Kick-off at the Santiago Bernabéu is at 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT).
