Real Madrid returned with a valuable victory over Benfica with a 1-0 win in the first leg of the playoff qualifying for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The match between the two teams took place at the "Da Luz" stadium, with the second leg scheduled for February 25 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

The start of the first half of the match was relatively calm, with Real Madrid dominating possession, while Benfica relied on closing down spaces. Arda Güler took a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but the goalkeeper saved it in two attempts.

The 20th minute witnessed the first dangerous opportunity in the match, as a low cross reached Vinicius in front of the goal, and he shot it but it went just wide of the post. Meanwhile, a Benfica player struck a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but Courtois saved it brilliantly.

Real Madrid maintained their advantage, with Mbappe almost scoring the lead in the 43rd minute, but his shot was off target. Mbappe then struck a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper continued to shine. Afterwards, a Benfica defender saved his goal from a dangerous chance in front of Vinicius.

In the 45th minute, Arda Güler almost scored a leading goal for Real Madrid with a brilliant shot from inside the penalty area, but the goalkeeper continued his impressive performance and deflected the ball to a corner, ending the first half without any goals.

At the start of the second half, specifically in the 50th minute, Vinicius Junior scored the lead goal with a brilliant shot from inside the penalty area, assisted by Mbappe. The match was then halted for 10 minutes due to racist incidents involving a Benfica player against Vinicius.

The match calmed down after it resumed, with attempts from Benfica to equalize. The Portuguese team almost snatched a draw after a cross from the left side was cleared by Courtois and then further cleared by the defense. Meanwhile, Vinicius nearly scored a second goal, but the goalkeeper managed to deflect the ball with difficulty in the 80th minute.

In the 84th minute, José Mourinho was sent off for protesting against the referee, and Benfica almost snatched a draw after a free-kick by Cabral hit the defensive wall and then changed direction just over the goal to a corner. Then, Rüdiger cleared a dangerous cross in the 90+2 minute, and the remaining minutes passed without any real threat.