Vinicius masterclass leaves Benfica in the dark as Madrid claim narrow advantage
Real Madrid secured a crucial away win in Lisbon thanks to a stunning Vinicius goal, but missed chances to kill the tie before the second leg at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid head back to the Spanish capital with a slender 1-0 advantage after Vinicius Jr turned the lights out on Benfica in a match where Los Blancos could’ve had a cricket score.
Vini’s worldie makes the difference
The Brazilian conjured up an absolute pearler to separate the sides - one of those goals that’ll be doing the rounds on social media before the final whistle’s even blown. Curiously, he copped a yellow card for his celebration, which seems about as sensible as a chocolate teapot.
But make no mistake, this was a completely different affair from Madrid’s previous visit to the Estádio da Luz. This time, it was Mourinho’s men who could’ve shipped four goals, lacking the intensity and aggression they showed in that earlier encounter.
Mbappé’s profligacy
The Frenchman had a proper mare in front of goal:
- Squandered a golden opportunity after a pin-point pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold (who’s looking more settled with each passing game)
- Fluffed another chance from Vinicius’ setup
- Missed a third clear opportunity following Camavinga’s assist
Trent’s showing exactly why Madrid were keen to get him on board - that right foot of his is absolutely mustard, delivering crosses with laser-like precision.
Benfica keeper keeps it respectable
The same goalkeeper who previously put four past Madrid turned hero for Benfica this time, producing a spectacular save to deny Arda Güler what would’ve been a deserved second goal for the visitors.
Incident mars proceedings
The match took an unfortunate turn when Vinicius reported hearing offensive chants directed at him, though it didn’t change the fundamental pattern of play. Madrid had already established their superiority, leaving Benfica looking like they were playing in the dark.
All to play for
Everything will be decided next week at the Bernabéu. While a one-goal advantage is significant, it’s far from decisive, especially considering how many chances Madrid created to effectively kill the tie in Lisbon.
Regardless of what Mourinho might say, Madrid have made it crystal clear they’re the better side. The second leg should be a right Bobby Dazzler.