Real Madrid secured a 1–0 victory in the first leg of the knockout phase playoffs against Benfica on Tuesday night thanks to a wondrous goal from Vinicius Junior.
The Spanish giants were frustrated by the visitors’ low block throughout the first half, but one special moment from the right foot of their No. 7 in the 50th minute was enough to give them the advantage heading into the second leg at the Bernabéu next week.
Marring Real Madrid’s triumph in Lisbon was the alleged racist abuse aimed at Vinicius Jr from Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni. The game soon became about something much bigger than a place in the Champions League round of 16, and the tension at the Estádio da Luz turned thick and ugly until the final whistle sounded.
The Moment That Changed the Game
The first half of the game saw Real Madrid’s attack frustrated by Benfica’s disciplined defense. Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler all took their chances against the hosts’ low block, but came up unsuccessful.
After the restart, it became obvious that only a special moment from one of Arbeloa’s men would get them on the scoresheet—and Vinicius Jr answered the call. The Brazilian received the ball from Mbappé on the left flank and then drove into the box, where he bent a sensational right-footed strike into the top right corner of the net. Anatoliy Trubin could have grown multiple arms and not been able to stop the goal.
Vinicius Jr went to the corner flag to celebrate the incredible finish, and then the game took a turn for the worse. The winger was inexplicably shown a yellow card for dancing, and was then approached by Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt as he appeared to speak towards Vinicius Jr.
The game was quickly suspended as the referee triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Arbeloa’s players walked off the pitch in defense of their teammate, who has been one of the leading voices in the fight against racism in football.
The game eventually restarted after the lengthy delay, but an ugly cloud loomed over the proceedings until the final whistle sounded.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Benfica (4-4-2)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.7: Made an absolute wonder save on a deflected Fredrik Aursnes strike to keep the game level in the first half.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.7: Should have ended the night with at least two assists, but his teammates let him down in front of goal. Easily the most dangerous playmaker for the visitors.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.5: Towed the line with his physicality all night long and committed a risky challenge inside his own 18-yard box to kick off the second half. All he will care about, though, is helping his team keep a clean sheet.
CB: Dean Huijsen—8.0: Will breathe a sigh of relief after finally getting through a game without making a costly error. Did well to progress the ball forward out the back.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.9: A spark plug down the left flank. Much more involved in the attack this time around and did a better job locking down Gianluca Prestianni.
RM: Federico Valverde—8.0: Linked up well with Alexander-Arnold and showed flashes of quality on the wing. Desveres credit for his leadership in the face of an unacceptable situation.
CM: Arda Güler—7.3: Took some time to grow into the game, but eventually forced a couple good saves out of Anatoliy Trubin.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.9: Broke up play after play, killing many of Benfica’s counter attacks before they even reached the final third. Exceptional in the air and won the most duels on the night.
LM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.1: A mixed bag for Camavinga. Had the most tackles in the match, but once again committed too many fouls that will get him in trouble one of these days.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—7.5: Lacked clinical finishing in the first half, perhaps a sign of his lingering knee injury. Still stepped up when it mattered most, though, and set up the game’s only goal.
ST: Vinicius Junior—8.2: Scored an insane goal in his favorite competition. Once again came up huge for Real Madrid in another Champions League knockout match. Bravely continued on in the face of racism.
SUB: Brahim Díaz (86’ for Güler)—N/A
SUB: Thiago Pitarch (94’ for Camavinga)—N/A
SUB: Dani Carvajal (99’ for Carreras)—N/A
Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Joan Martínez, Dani Ceballos, Jorge Cestero, Franco Mastantuono, Gonzalo García.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Trent Alexander-Arnold is the key to Real Madrid’s success this season. The England international’s return has completely unlocked a new facet to the team’s attack, one that allows Los Blancos to stretch the pitch and exploit more gaps than ever before.
- Dean Huijsen showed why the club spent a record-breaking fee to bring him to the Spanish capital. With Antonio Rüdiger playing alongside him, the young defender looks much more comfortable, and has the freedom to push forward.
- Arda Güler had another quiet night in a big game. The team needs more out of him moving forward, especially if he is going to be filling in for the injured Jude Bellingham for the foreseeable future.
The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Character Win
- After conceding four goal just three weeks ago against Benfica, Real Madrid’s defense held their opponents to a 0.41 xG and only three shots on target.
- Real Madrid failed to make the most of their chances on Tuesday night. Of their 16 shots, seven were on target—yet only one, the toughest one of them all, found the back of the net.
- Even though Real Madrid allowed Benfica to have 42% possession, they never truly looked uncomfortable and stayed in a disciplined shape to limit the hosts’ damage when they had the ball.
| Statistic | Benfica | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.41 | 1.11 |
| Total Shots | 10 | 16 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 7 |
| Big Chances | 0 | 4 |
| Pass Accuracy | 80% | 88% |
| Fouls | 6 | 9 |
| Corners | 3 | 6 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Benfica: Controversy Overshadows Vinicius Jr Golazo.
