The Champions League knockout play-offs wrapped up in classic, nail-biting fashion at both the Santiago Bernabéu and Parc des Princes. Defending champions PSG and Real Madrid found themselves trailing at halftime and dealing with plenty of chaos on the pitch, but they still pulled through.
Madrid had Vinícius Júnior to thank for their 2-1 win over Benfica, finishing 3-1 on aggregate. Over in Paris, PSG held on for a wild 2-2 draw with Monaco, who were down to ten men, and just squeezed through 5-4 overall. So, the heavyweights are still standing as we head into the Round of 16. In the end, experience counted for more than the underdogs’ dreams, though, honestly, there were some serious scares along the way.
Champions League Play-Off Results (Second Leg) 2025/2026
| Real Madrid vs Benfica | 2-1 | 3-1 | Real Madrid Advance |
| PSG vs Monaco | 2-2 | 5-4 | PSG Advance |
| Juventus vs Galatasaray | 3-2 (AET) | 5-7 | Galatasaray Advance |
| Atalanta vs Dortmund | 4-1 | 4-3 | Atalanta Advance |
Vinícius Júnior Silences Benfica At The Bernabéu
Real Madrid kept their streak alive as they haven’t missed the knockout rounds once this century. But Benfica didn’t make it easy for them. Even with Kylian Mbappé out hurt, Madrid came in as clear favourites. But then, out of nowhere, Rafa Silva pounced on a rebound and scored in the 14th minute, tying the aggregate. Madrid didn’t waste any time answering back. Just two minutes later, Aurelien Tchouaméni drilled a low shot into the bottom corner and put them ahead again.
After that, the tension stuck around. The game was still in the balance all the way to the 80th minute. With the whole week overshadowed by the racism controversy from the first leg, it felt right that Vinícius Júnior delivered the final blow.
He timed his run perfectly, beat the offside line, and finished calmly after a sharp pass from Federico Valverde. That goal wrapped up a 2-1 win. The only downside for the hosts was that their young defender, Raul Asencio, picked up a nasty injury late on and had to leave the field on a stretcher.
🚨🏆 Champions League draw on Friday.
⚪️✨ Real Madrid to face Man City or Sporting.
🔴🔵 Paris St Germain to face Barça or Chelsea.
🔴🟡 Galatasaray to face Liverpool or Tottenham.
⚫️🔵 Atalanta to face FC Bayern or Arsenal.⚪️⚫️ Newcastle to face Barcelona or Chelsea.
🔴⚪️… pic.twitter.com/hGmaYUFCvh— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 25, 2026
PSG Survive Monaco Charge In Ten-Man Thriller
PSG battled through a wild night at the Parc des Princes, barely hanging on to their title hopes. Monaco grabbed the lead thanks to Maghnes Akliouche, but everything changed when Mamadou Coulibaly got sent off.
Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wasted no time, each finding the net and pushing PSG ahead 5-4 on aggregate. Jordan Teze pulled one back late for Monaco, but it didn’t matter. Luis Enrique’s team moves on and now waits to see who they’ll face in the Round of 16.
