Real Madrid defeats Benfica 0-1 in Lisbon and takes the lead in the tie

LISBON, Portugal.– Real Madrid took a firm step towards the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League by winning 0-1 against Benfica in the first leg of the ‘playoff’, played at the Estádio da Luz in front of more than 65,000 spectators

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The white team showed defensive solidity and greater clarity in decisive moments, prevailing with a goal from the Brazilian Vinícius Júnior at the beginning of the second half.

Even match in the first half

The match started with alternating dominance. Benfica created danger down the flanks, especially with Andreas Schjelderup and Gianluca Prestianni, while Madrid sought depth with "Federico Valverde" and "Eduardo Camavinga". Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was key in preventing the opening of the scoring with a decisive intervention against a low shot from Fredrik Aursnes. In the final stretch of the first half, Madrid raised the intensity and tested goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin on several occasions, who held the tie before halftime.

Vinícius breaks the balance

The difference came in the 49th minute, when Vinícius signed off on a high-level individual action: he faced his marker, entered the area and defined a cross to beat Trubin and put the final 0-1. Minutes after the goal, referee François Letexier activated the anti-racism protocol following a complaint from Vinícius himself for alleged insults from the field. The game was stopped for several minutes before resuming normally.

White control and Mourinho's expulsion

Madrid controlled the pace of the match in the second half, with a standout performance from midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who neutralized multiple offensive attempts by the Portuguese team. In the 84th minute, Benfica's coach, José Mourinho, was sent off for angrily protesting a refereeing decision, so he will not be able to manage from the bench in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. The match concluded after more than 100 minutes, considering added time, with a minimal advantage for the team led by Real Madrid, who will seek to secure qualification at home.

Technical Sheet

Benfica (0): Trubin; Dedic, Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, Dahl; Schjelderup (Ríos, 73’), Aursnes, Barreiro; Rafa Silva (Sudakov, 73’), Prestianni, Pavlidis.

Real Madrid (1): Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras (Carvajal, 98’); Arda Güler (Brahim, 86’), Valverde, Tchouaméni, Camavinga (Pitarch, 93’); Vinícius and Mbappé.

Goal: 0-1, min. 49: Vinícius.
Referee: François Letexier (France). Booked Vinícius and Mbappé; Prestianni for Benfica. Sent off José Mourinho.
Stadium: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon.