Vinicius winner and stoppage drama as Real Madrid beat Benfica, prestianni at centre of racism row
Real Madrid edged Benfica 1-0 in a charged Champions League first-leg tie in Lisbon that was overshadowed when Vinicius Junior reported alleged racist abuse linked to Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni. The game was stopped for roughly 10–11 minutes after the Brazilian's reaction to the incident, with play eventually resuming and the visitors holding a slender lead ahead of the return in Madrid.
Match action: a moment of magic settles a tense night
The decisive moment arrived in the 50th minute when Vinicius curled a sublime strike past Anatoliy Trubin at the Estadio da Luz. It was a world-class finish that followed a period of intense chances for both sides, including a near-miss by Vinicius off a defence-splitting pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and a fine stop by Thibaut Courtois to deny Vangelis Pavlidis' side earlier in the half.
Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius combined to threaten Benfica on several occasions; Mbappé went close either side of half-time and was kept at bay by Trubin late in the first half, while Alexander-Arnold covered the full 90 minutes, threading key passes throughout. After the goal, Real largely controlled the match and eventually saw out the win despite extended stoppage time, with 12 minutes added on due to the interruption.
Stoppage, protest and protocol: what unfolded
Play halted shortly after Vinicius' goal when the forward, who had also been booked for an exuberant celebration, ran to the referee and indicated he'd been racially abused following an on-field exchange with Gianluca Prestianni. Referee François Letexier made the crossed-arms anti-racism signal and the match was paused while players and officials conferred. Real's players left the pitch in protest before the contest resumed about 10–11 minutes later.
The interruption intensified an already fraught atmosphere. Emotions remained high through the closing stages; during the lengthy stoppage time an object thrown from the crowd struck Vinicius on the arm as he prepared to take a corner. Benfica manager José Mourinho picked up two yellow cards in the 85th minute and will be absent from the touchline for the second leg in Madrid.
Aftermath and what's next
Real Madrid depart Lisbon with a narrow advantage but also unresolved tensions that are likely to dominate headlines and conversations ahead of the return at the Santiago Bernabéu. The rematch is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25 at 3: 00 PM ET, when Benfica must overturn the deficit in front of their home rivals' travelling support. The tie carries extra spice after the sides' recent dramatic encounters — most notably a fixture just 19 days earlier that ended with Benfica's goalkeeper scoring a late header to clinch the final play-off spot.
On the pitch, Real will look to build on the away clean sheet and Vinicius' form, while Benfica must respond with sharper attacking moments and greater control over the crowd atmosphere. Off the pitch, the allegations and the manner in which the anti-racism protocol was handled will remain key talking points as governing bodies and clubs assess what happened in Lisbon and how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
