Real Madrid clinched a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, thanks to a spectacular second-half goal from Vinicius Junior. However, the triumph was unfortunately overshadowed by a shocking incident where the Brazilian star accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him.
The alleged racist remark occurred almost immediately after Vinicius netted his stunning curved shot, giving Real the lead five minutes into the second half at the Estadio da Luz. The game was then paused for a full 11 minutes as referee Francois Letexier activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol. Footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt as he made a comment that Vinicius and his nearby teammates understood to be a racial slur. This isn’t the first time the 25-year-old Vinicius has been targeted with racist abuse during matches in Spain.
Real’s captain, Federico Valverde, expressed his disbelief to Movistar Plus, stating, “It is unbelievable that, with dozens of cameras in the stadium that none could have caught (Prestianni’s) racial slur, but if you cover your mouth to say something, that says a lot…” He added that his teammates heard something “very ugly” and praised Vinicius for his continued fight against racism in football.
The game started with Benfica on the offensive, but Real Madrid slowly took command. Benfica relied on counter-attacks, with Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making a brilliant one-handed save to block Fredrik Aursnes’ shot in the 25th minute. Real finished the first half strong, and it was only the outstanding performance of Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, who denied Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler, keeping the score level at halftime.
The crucial goal came five minutes after the break. Mbappe made a powerful run and passed to Vinicius on the left wing. Vinicius expertly cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable curling strike that soared into the top corner of the net. His celebration, a dance near the corner flag, earned him a booking from referee Letexier.
It was during this interaction with the referee that Vinicius got into a heated argument with Prestianni, prompting Vinicius and several teammates to rush towards the referee. Letexier then signaled to stop the game using FIFA’s protocol. There was a moment of intense tension where Real’s players threatened to leave the field before play eventually resumed after 11 minutes.
The stadium atmosphere turned ugly, with Vinicius being met with loud boos every time he touched the ball. Broadcast cameras seemed to capture an enraged Mbappe confronting Prestianni, reportedly calling him “a bloody racist” multiple times once the game restarted.
Tensions flared again in the 85th minute after Vinicius fouled Richard Rios. Benfica’s manager, Jose Mourinho, stormed towards the fourth official, demanding a second yellow card for Vinicius, but his protests resulted in him being cautioned instead. Mourinho’s continued arguments then led to him being shown a second yellow card himself. The situation escalated further as the Benfica crowd began throwing bottles, plastic cups, and even a vape at Vinicius.
Despite Benfica’s late efforts, they only managed three shots on target. Real Madrid ultimately secured a slim a dvantage to take back home for the second leg.
By: Andrews Addotey
