Madrid, 26 February (H.S.): Vinícius Júnior delivered the decisive blow as 15-time European champions Real Madrid came from behind to beat Benfica 2–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and seal a 3–1 aggregate win, booking their place in the UEFA Champions League last 16.

Trailing 0–1 from the first leg, Benfica struck first on the night when Rafa Silva fired home a rebound in the 14th minute after Thibaut Courtois' initial save. Madrid hit back almost instantly, as Aurélien Tchouameni drilled in from the edge of the box two minutes later from a Federico Valverde cut-back to restore their aggregate advantage.

Arda Güler thought he had put Madrid ahead before the break, but VAR chalked off his 32nd-minute effort for offside. Courtois then produced key saves to keep the hosts level, while Benfica rattled the crossbar in the second half to underline the tie's tension.

The breakthrough finally came in the 80th minute: Valverde slid a precise ball through midfield, Vinícius timed his run to beat the offside trap, and coolly slotted a low finish into the corner to make it 2–1. The Brazilian's winner, greeted by a trademark dance at the corner flag, effectively settled the contest and capped Madrid's comeback.

Post-match, Tchouameni acknowledged Madrid's slow start but stressed their belief that goals would come, noting there is still room to tighten up defensively. Real now await the last-16 draw, where they could face Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar