CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUNDUP
Madrid, Feb 26: On a night charged with tension and emotion, Vinicius Junior delivered the final flourish as Real Madrid defeated Benfica 2-1 to book their place in the Champions League round of 16.
A week after alleging racial abuse in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius responded in the most emphatic manner possible.
With Madrid leading and the tie finely poised, the Brazilian forward struck in the 80th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu, guiding a low finish into the corner to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory.
He celebrated with his now-familiar dance by the corner flag — a gesture that drew loud jeers from sections of the travelling Benfica support each time he touched the ball.
The controversy stemmed from the first leg, when Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially insulting him. Prestianni denied the allegation but was provisionally suspended for one match by UEFA and did not feature in Madrid.
Benfica coach Jose Mourinho was also absent from the dugout due to suspension.On the pitch, Benfica briefly reignited hope when Rafa Silva scored in the 14th minute to level the aggregate score at 1-1.
However, Aurelien Tchouameni responded almost immediately, restoring Madrid’s advantage just two minutes later. From there, the Spanish giants controlled proceedings to maintain their remarkable record of reaching the round of 16 every year this century.
They will next face either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon. Elsewhere, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain endured a nervy evening before edging past Monaco. Holding a slender 3-2 lead from the first leg, PSG fell behind to Maghnes Akliouche’s strike just before halftime.
The momentum shifted in the 58th minute when Monaco’s Mamadou Coulibaly was sent off. PSG capitalised through Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to move ahead, and although Jordan Teze grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser, it proved too late to prevent elimination.
PSG will meet either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round. Right back Achraf Hakimi featured a day after being ordered to stand trial in a rape case.In Turin, Juventus came close to producing one of the competition’s great comebacks but ultimately fell short against Galatasaray.
Trailing 5-2 from the first leg, Juventus rallied with a Manuel Locatelli penalty before halftime and further goals from Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie, despite being reduced to 10 men following Lloyd Kelly’s dismissal.
The Italian side forced extra time, but Galatasaray made their numerical advantage count as Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz struck to secure a 7-5 aggregate triumph.
Italy’s hopes now rest solely with Atalanta, who produced late drama against Borussia Dortmund. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, substitute Lazar Samardzic converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review, sealing a 4-3 aggregate victory.
The decision followed a foul by Remy Bensabaini, who was sent off, after a frantic final attack sparked by a mistake from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Atalanta will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16. Napoli failed to reach the playoffs, while Inter Milan were eliminated earlier by Bodø/Glimt. The draw for the next round takes place on Friday.With the dust yet to settle on a dramatic playoff round, Europe’s elite now turn their attention to the last 16, where reputations will be tested and ambitions laid bare.
For Real Madrid, the march continues with familiar authority; for PSG and Atalanta, belief survives after nights of nerves and late heroics. Juventus, meanwhile, are left to rue what might have been.
As the curtain falls on a playoff round laced with controversy, courage and late twists, the UEFA Champions League once again reminds Europe why it remains football’s grandest stage. Real Madrid stride forward with history and habit on their side, their nerve as unshakeable as ever. Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta cling to dreams forged in adversity, while Juventus must confront the ache of a valiant failure. (AP)
