Real Madrid vs Benfica Highlights and Match Report

UEFA Champions League

8:00 PMFebruary 25, 2026

Round of 32

Real Madrid*

Show Score

2 - 1

HT:(1 - 1)

Aggregate:(3 - 1)

Benfica

Bernabéu

Referee: Slavko Vinčić, Slovenia

How did the teams perform?

Real Madrid

World Class 0 Solid 0 Bang Average 0 Lucky 0 Shocking 0

0 Total Votes

Benfica

World Class 0 Solid 0 Bang Average 0 Lucky 0 Shocking 0

Match Stats Lineups Head-2-Head Standings

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Match Stats

Ball possession

56%

44%

1.11

Expected goals (xG)

1.82

-1.00

Goals Prevented

-1.00

Attack

14

Total shots

12

4

Shots on target

4

6

Shots off target

3

4

Blocked shots

5

10

Shots inside box

8

4

Shots outside box

4

4

Corner kicks

7

2

Offsides

0

Passing

556

Total passes

435

502 (90%)

Accurate passes

376 (86%)

Discipline

16

Fouls

10

2

Yellow cards

2

0

Red cards

0

4

Goalkeeper saves

2

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Lineup

Real Madrid

4-4-2

1 G Thibaut Courtois 6.9

18 D Álvaro Carreras 7.3

22 D Antonio Rüdiger 6.9

17 D Raúl Asencio 57' Tripping 6.2

12 D Trent Alexander-Arnold 6.5

6 M Eduardo Camavinga 7.2

14 M Aurélien Tchouaméni 16' 8.0

15 M Arda Güler 6.9

8 M Federico Valverde (C) 16' 80' 7.6

7 F Vinícius Júnior 80' 8.3

16 F Gonzalo García 6.3

Substitutes

45 M Thiago Pitarch 84' Replaced by G. Garcia 6.5

38 M César Palacios 90+6' Holding 84' Replaced by A. Guler 6.3

37 M Manuel Ángel Morán

28 M Jorge Cestero

30 F Franco Mastantuono 77' Replaced by E. Camavinga 6.2

21 M Brahim Díaz

23 D Ferland Mendy

20 D Fran García 90+1' Replaced by A. Carreras

4 D David Alaba 77' Replaced by R. Asencio 6.7

2 D Daniel Carvajal

26 G Fran González

13 G Andriy Lunin

Coach

Alvaro Arbeloa

Benfica

4-2-3-1

1 G Anatoliy Trubin 5.9

26 D Samuel Dahl 6.7

44 D Tomás Araújo 6.6

30 D Nicolás Otamendi (C) 51' 7.3

17 D Amar Dedić 6.0

20 M Richard Ríos 35' Tripping 6.6

18 M Leandro Barreiro 6.3

21 M Andreas Schjelderup 7.0

27 M Rafa Silva 14' 6.9

8 M Fredrik Aursnes 6.6

14 F Vangelis Pavlidis 5.9

Substitutes

72 F Anísio Cabral

9 F Franjo Ivanović 85' Replaced by A. Schjelderup 6.7

16 M Manuel Silva

11 F Dodi Lukebakio

10 M Georgiy Sudakov

5 M Enzo Barrenechea 85' Replaced by F. Aursnes 6.7

62 D José Neto

15 D Sidny Lopes Cabral 90+1' Replaced by L. Barreiro

6 D Alexander Bah

4 D António Silva

24 G Samuel Soares

50 G Diogo Ferreira

Coach

Jose Mourinho

UEFA Champions League Standings - UEFA Champions League

TotalHomeAway

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	+/-	GD	Pts	Form
1	Arsenal	5	5	0	0	14-1	13	15	W 04 November: Slavia Praha 0 - 3 Arsenal W 26 November: Arsenal 3 - 1 Bayern München W 10 December: Club Brugge KV 0 - 3 Arsenal W 20 January: Inter 1 - 3 Arsenal W 28 January: Arsenal 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty
2	Bayern München	6	5	0	1	18-7	11	15	W 04 November: Paris Saint Germain 1 - 2 Bayern München W No match found W 09 December: Bayern München 3 - 1 Sporting CP L No match found W 28 January: PSV Eindhoven 1 - 2 Bayern München
3	Atalanta	6	4	1	1	8-6	2	13	W 09 December: Atalanta 2 - 1 Chelsea D No match found W No match found W No match found W 25 February: Atalanta 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
4	Paris Saint Germain	5	4	0	1	19-8	11	12	W No match found W No match found W No match found L No match found W No match found
5	Inter	6	4	0	2	12-4	8	12	W No match found W No match found W 28 January: Borussia Dortmund 0 - 2 Inter L 18 February: Bodo/Glimt 3 - 1 Inter L 24 February: Inter 1 - 2 Bodo/Glimt
6	Real Madrid	5	4	0	1	12-5	7	12	W No match found W 20 January: Real Madrid 6 - 1 Monaco W No match found L No match found W 25 February: Real Madrid 2 - 1 Benfica
7	Atletico Madrid	6	4	0	2	15-12	3	12	W 09 December: PSV Eindhoven 2 - 3 Atletico Madrid L No match found W No match found W No match found W 24 February: Atletico Madrid 4 - 1 Club Brugge KV
8	Liverpool	6	4	0	2	11-8	3	12	L No match found W No match found W 09 December: Inter 0 - 1 Liverpool L No match found W 28 January: Liverpool 6 - 0 Qarabag
9	Tottenham	6	3	2	1	13-7	6	11	D No match found D No match found W 09 December: Tottenham 3 - 0 Slavia Praha L No match found W 28 January: Eintracht Frankfurt 0 - 2 Tottenham
10	Borussia Dortmund	5	3	1	1	17-11	6	10	D 10 December: Borussia Dortmund 2 - 2 Bodo/Glimt W No match found W No match found L No match found W No match found
11	Chelsea	6	3	1	2	13-8	5	10	W No match found W 25 November: Chelsea 3 - 0 Barcelona D No match found W 21 January: Chelsea 1 - 0 Pafos L No match found
12	Manchester City	5	3	1	1	10-5	5	10	W 05 November: Manchester City 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund D No match found W 10 December: Real Madrid 1 - 2 Manchester City W No match found L No match found
13	Sporting CP	6	3	1	2	12-8	4	10	L No match found W 26 November: Sporting CP 3 - 0 Club Brugge KV D No match found W 20 January: Sporting CP 2 - 1 Paris Saint Germain L No match found
14	Barcelona	6	3	1	2	14-11	3	10	L No match found W No match found D No match found L No match found W 28 January: Barcelona 4 - 1 FC Copenhagen
15	Newcastle	5	3	0	2	11-4	7	9	L No match found W 21 January: Newcastle 3 - 0 PSV Eindhoven W No match found W 18 February: Qarabag 1 - 6 Newcastle L No match found
16	Marseille	6	3	0	3	11-8	3	9	W No match found L No match found L No match found W No match found W No match found
17	Galatasaray	6	3	0	3	8-8	0	9	W No match found W No match found W No match found L No match found L 25 February: Juventus 3 - 2 Galatasaray
18	Monaco	6	2	3	1	7-8	-1	9	D No match found D No match found W No match found D No match found W No match found
19	PSV Eindhoven	6	2	2	2	15-11	4	8	D 04 November: Olympiakos Piraeus 1 - 1 PSV Eindhoven W 26 November: Liverpool 1 - 4 PSV Eindhoven D No match found W No match found L 28 January: PSV Eindhoven 1 - 2 Bayern München
20	Bayer Leverkusen	5	2	2	1	8-10	-2	8	D 10 December: Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 2 Newcastle D No match found L No match found W 18 February: Olympiakos Piraeus 0 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen W No match found
21	Qarabag	6	2	1	3	10-13	-3	7	W No match found L No match found D No match found L 18 February: Qarabag 1 - 6 Newcastle L 24 February: Newcastle 3 - 2 Qarabag
22	Napoli	5	2	1	2	6-9	-3	7	L No match found W 25 November: Napoli 2 - 0 Qarabag L 10 December: Benfica 2 - 0 Napoli D 20 January: FC Copenhagen 1 - 1 Napoli W No match found
23	FC Copenhagen	6	2	1	3	10-16	-6	7	L 04 November: Tottenham 4 - 0 FC Copenhagen L No match found L No match found W No match found W No match found
24	Juventus	5	1	3	1	10-10	0	6	D No match found D No match found L No match found D No match found W 25 February: Juventus 3 - 2 Galatasaray
25	Pafos	5	1	3	1	4-7	-3	6	D No match found L No match found D No match found W No match found D No match found
26	Union St. Gilloise	6	2	0	4	7-15	-8	6	L 04 November: Atletico Madrid 3 - 1 Union St. Gilloise L No match found L 09 December: Union St. Gilloise 2 - 3 Marseille W No match found L No match found
27	Olympiakos Piraeus	6	1	2	3	6-13	-7	5	L No match found L No match found D No match found L 18 February: Olympiakos Piraeus 0 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen W No match found
28	Club Brugge KV	5	1	1	3	8-13	-5	4	W No match found L No match found L No match found D 18 February: Club Brugge KV 3 - 3 Atletico Madrid L 24 February: Atletico Madrid 4 - 1 Club Brugge KV
29	Athletic Club	5	1	1	3	4-9	-5	4	L 05 November: Newcastle 2 - 0 Athletic Club L No match found W No match found L No match found D No match found
30	Eintracht Frankfurt	6	1	1	4	8-16	-8	4	L No match found L 26 November: Eintracht Frankfurt 0 - 3 Atalanta D No match found L 21 January: Qarabag 3 - 2 Eintracht Frankfurt L 28 January: Eintracht Frankfurt 0 - 2 Tottenham
31	Benfica	5	1	0	4	4-8	-4	3	L No match found L 21 January: Juventus 2 - 0 Benfica L No match found L 17 February: Benfica 0 - 1 Real Madrid W No match found
32	Slavia Praha	6	0	3	3	2-11	-9	3	L 04 November: Slavia Praha 0 - 3 Arsenal D 25 November: Slavia Praha 0 - 0 Athletic Club L 09 December: Tottenham 3 - 0 Slavia Praha D No match found L 28 January: Pafos 4 - 1 Slavia Praha
33	Ajax	6	1	0	5	5-18	-13	3	L 05 November: Ajax 0 - 3 Galatasaray L 25 November: Ajax 0 - 2 Benfica L No match found L No match found W No match found
34	Bodo/Glimt	5	0	2	3	7-11	-4	2	D 10 December: Borussia Dortmund 2 - 2 Bodo/Glimt D No match found L No match found L No match found L No match found
35	Villarreal	6	0	1	5	4-13	-9	1	D No match found L 25 November: Borussia Dortmund 4 - 0 Villarreal L 10 December: Villarreal 2 - 3 FC Copenhagen L 20 January: Villarreal 1 - 2 Ajax L 28 January: Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 0 Villarreal
36	Kairat Almaty	6	0	1	5	4-15	-11	1	L 05 November: Inter 2 - 1 Kairat Almaty D No match found L 09 December: Kairat Almaty 0 - 1 Olympiakos Piraeus L 20 January: Kairat Almaty 1 - 4 Club Brugge KV L 28 January: Arsenal 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty

Qualification/Relegation

• Promotion - Champions League (Play Offs: 1/8-finals)
• Promotion - Champions League (Play Offs: 1/16-finals)

Vinicius Junior’s late winner secured Real Madrid a narrow 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory over a resilient Benfica side at the Bernabéu.

Real Madrid secured a vital 2-1 victory over Benfica at the Bernabéu on February 25, 2026. Vinicius Junior’s late strike proved decisive in a hard-fought UEFA Champions League encounter.

Real Madrid entered the match in strong form, topping their group with 12 points from five games. Benfica, however, desperately needed a turnaround in their European campaign. This continental clash held significant weight.

The match exploded into life early. Benfica stunned the home crowd in the 14th minute. Rafa Silva slotted home, giving the visitors a surprising lead.

Real Madrid responded almost immediately. Just two minutes later, in the 16th minute, Aurélien Tchouaméni powered in an equaliser. Federico Valverde provided the assist, restoring parity swiftly.

Real Madrid thought they had taken the lead in the 32nd minute through Arda Güler. However, VAR disallowed the goal for offside, keeping the score level. Benfica’s R. Rios then received a yellow card for tripping in the 35th minute.

At half-time, the score remained finely poised at 1-1. Real Madrid needed to break down Benfica’s resilient defence. Benfica aimed to maintain their shape and threaten on the counter. The second half promised more intensity.

The second half began with fierce battling. Nicolás Otamendi of Benfica was booked in the 51st minute. Real Madrid’s R. Asencio then received a yellow card in the 57th minute for a similar foul.

As the game wore on, Real Madrid pressed for a winner. Coach Carlo Ancelotti made tactical changes in the 77th minute. David Alaba replaced R. Asencio and F. Mastantuono came on for Eduardo Camavinga, seeking fresh impetus.

The decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute. Vinicius Junior, assisted again by Federico Valverde, expertly found the net. His goal propelled Real Madrid ahead 2-1, igniting celebrations across the Bernabéu.

Substitutions continued as both teams managed the final stages. Real Madrid brought on G. Garcia and C. Palacios in the 84th minute. Benfica countered with A. Schjelderup and F. Aursnes in the 85th minute. C. Palacios received a yellow card late in stoppage time for holding.

Real Madrid dominated possession with 56%, registering 14 total shots, with 4 on target. Their expected goals (xG) stood at 1.11. Benfica, with 44% possession, managed 12 total shots and an impressive xG of 1.82. Thibaut Courtois made 4 crucial saves for the home side.

This hard-fought 2-1 victory further solidifies Real Madrid’s strong position in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Benfica’s valiant effort ultimately yielded no points, leaving them with an uphill battle.