27/02/2026

FRIDAY | FEB 27, 2026

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Vini wins it for Real … as Los Blancos defeat Benfica one week after racism storm to progress into Champions League last 16

V INICIUS JUNIOR sealed Real Madrid’s progress to the Champions League last 16 yesterday with the clincher against Benfica. Italian giants Juventus almost pulled off a stunning comeback from their 5-2 first leg deficit against Galatasaray, but extra time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz gave the Turks a 7-5 aggregate victory, while Lazar Samardzic’s injury-time spot-kick put Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund. Vinicius scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory on the night to secure a 3-1 aggregate success for Real in the playoff tie in Madrid. “(Vini) had a great game,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar . “Unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on.” A week on from the racism

furore in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius provided the perfect riposte as the man he accused of racial abuse, Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni sat out the match with a provisional ban imposed by Uefa. Benfica coach Jose Mourinho was also suspended for the match against his former employers but his side briefly gave him hope of a shock result. Rafa Silva gave Benfica a deserved lead on 14 minutes, but two minutes later, Aurelien Tchouameni levelled things up on the night with a crisp finish from Federico Valverde’s cutback. With strike-partner Kylian Mbappe injured, Vinicius then stole the limelight, breaking clear 11 minutes from time to fire across goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin and into the far corner. Tchouameni called it “a victory over racism”. “We didn’t play our best match of the season, that’s for sure. But I

for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it,” said Arbeloa. “Without (Kylian) Mbappe I think it’s even more important and I am very happy for him.” Before the game Arbeloa said French superstar Mbappe would spent some time out as he recov ers from a knee problem. “After yesterday’s session, we talked with the doctors, I spoke with him, and we felt the best thing was for him to stop, to recover 100 per cent, and to come back in top shape, confident and without any discomfort for every thing that’s coming, which is obviously very important,” Arbeloa told reporters after the match. Asked if it was discomfort or an injury, he added: “I think we can call it an injury, but it seems, and I hope, that it’s not a very seri ous injury, nothing major, and that he’ll be able to come back in a few days or weeks.” – AFP

think there are things more important than this match, and more important than football,” Tchouameni told reporters. “The dance continues,” wrote Vinicius on social media after wards, along with a photo of a big banner hung at the Bernabeu reading “no to racism”. Real Madrid said they had thrown out one of their own sup porters before the game for per forming a Nazi salute. “This (club) member was identified by the club’s security staff moments after appearing on the (television) broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium,” said Madrid in a statement. “Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society.” Real Madrid coach Arbeloa said he was happy when Vinicius found the net. “(I reacted) with joy obviously,

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