prestianni exchange halts action as Vinicius winner sinks Benfica in Lisbon
Real Madrid left the Estadio da Luz with a 1-0 advantage after Vinicius Junior’s sublime second-half strike, but the match will be remembered as much for an on-field stoppage over alleged racial abuse involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni as for the quality of the football. The game was paused for around 10 minutes after Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier he had been targeted.
Match turning point — Vinicius’ curled winner and mass walk-off
The decisive moment arrived in the 50th minute when Vinicius curled a brilliant effort past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to put the visitors ahead. The Brazil forward was then booked for an exuberant celebration. A heated confrontation with Prestianni followed, and Vinicius ran to the referee, gesturing toward the Benfica player and indicating he had been racially abused.
Referee Letexier made the crossed-arms signal that activates the anti-racism protocol introduced in May 2024 and halted play. Vinicius left the pitch and was followed by his team-mates; the stoppage lasted roughly 10 to 11 minutes before the match resumed. During a lengthy added-time period, play was further marred when an object thrown from the crowd struck Vinicius on the arm as he prepared to take a corner.
On-field action and fallout
Real’s performance on the night was accomplished even with the off-field noise. Trent Alexander-Arnold supplied defence-splitting passes and played the full match, teeing up moments that tested Benfica’s rearguard. Kylian Mbappe came close on a couple of occasions — one chance narrowly missed and another was saved by Trubin. Thibaut Courtois was also called into action earlier, keeping out a stinging effort from Fredrik Aursnes as Benfica sought an opener.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho picked up two yellow cards late on and will be absent from the sideline for the return leg in Madrid. The Lisbon side also rely on memories of their dramatic late header from Trubin that sealed a play-off spot less than three weeks ago, but they now face overturning this deficit when the second leg kicks off on Wednesday, February 25 at 3: 00 PM ET.
Claims, denials and wider implications
Vinicius publicly condemned the incident on social media, calling racism cowardly and noting that similar episodes are sadly not new in his life. Prestianni has denied using a racist slur, stating he believes the forward misunderstood what he heard. The brief but intense stoppage highlighted the implementation of the anti-racism protocol: referees can pause play, request announcements to attempt to stop crowd abuse, and, if necessary, suspend the match and send teams to the dressing rooms.
Reactions in the stadium and the decision by Real’s players to leave the field underscored how sensitive and high-stakes such interventions are. While the match concluded with Real holding a narrow advantage, the episode will dominate headlines in the run-up to the return leg and reopen debate about how match officials, clubs and governing bodies handle allegations of racist behaviour during games.
Sporting narratives abound — one side celebrating a moments-of-magic winner, the other seeking answers and redress — but both teams now have to focus on the tie still very much alive in Madrid next week. The result leaves Benfica with a task to overturn a one-goal deficit, and it leaves the competition with unanswered questions about crowd behaviour and the effectiveness of current protocols when allegations arise.
