prestianni exchange halts Benfica v Real Madrid as Vinicius winner sparks anti-racism protocol
Real Madrid claimed a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Benfica in Lisbon, but the result was overshadowed when play was paused for around 10–11 minutes after Vinicius Junior reported alleged racial abuse directed at him during a heated exchange with Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni. The return leg is set for Wednesday, February 25 at 3: 00 PM ET.
Goal, confrontation and the stoppage
Vinicius produced a moment of individual brilliance to open the scoring in the 50th minute, curling a superb strike past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin at the Estadio da Luz. He was booked for what the referee deemed an excessive celebration, then became embroiled in a confrontation with Prestianni. After running to the referee and pointing towards the Benfica player, Vinicius and his team-mates left the pitch while the match official used the anti-racism gesture to halt play.
The stoppage lasted around 10–11 minutes before the game resumed. Tensions remained high: late in stoppage time an object thrown from the crowd struck Vinicius on the arm as he prepared to take a corner. The match continued to its conclusion with Real Madrid holding the slender lead.
Reactions, denials and wider fallout
Vinicius condemned the incident after the game, saying that racism has been part of his life and that perpetrators are cowards. He criticised the implementation of the protocol by the match officials and questioned why he had been cautioned for his celebration. Prestianni denied directing racist insults, stating that the Madrid forward misinterpreted what he thought he heard.
There were additional flashpoints during the match: Benfica manager was shown two yellow cards and will be suspended for the second leg in Madrid. Match momentum swung in Real Madrid's favour after the goal, with the visitors largely controlling the closing stages and Benfica rarely threatening to overturn the deficit.
The Brazilian football federation issued a statement condemning racism as a crime and praising Vinicius for activating the protocol, describing his choice as courageous and dignified. Teammates and opponents offered contrasting takes on the confrontation, with some suggesting heated rivalry and on-field provocation played a role while others insisted such incidents have no place in the game.
Match context and what to expect in Madrid
The victory gives Real Madrid a narrow advantage heading to the Santiago Bernabéu for the return leg. Real created several chances: a defence-splitting pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold set up a near miss for Vinicius earlier in the second half, and Kylian Mbappé came close on a couple of occasions but was denied by Trubin and miscued one chance.
Benfica will seek to overturn the deficit on home soil in the second leg, where behavioural discipline and crowd management will be under intense scrutiny after the incidents in Lisbon. The governing bodies involved will almost certainly review match footage and the sequence that led to the stoppage and the alleged abuse. For now, Real travel to Madrid with a win but with significant questions lingering over the conduct that interrupted a high-stakes Champions League tie.
