Vinicius Junior Strike Secures Narrow Advantage Amid Controversial Night in Lisbon
Real Madrid took a significant step towards the Champions League group stage with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their play-off tie at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. However, the crucial away win was completely overshadowed by a serious racism allegation and disciplinary incidents that dominated the post-match discourse.
Early Second-Half Goal and Immediate Controversy
The decisive moment arrived early in the second half when Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior unleashed a powerful, curling shot that found the top corner of the Benfica net, breaking the deadlock. The celebration that followed, however, ignited the first flashpoint. Vinicius celebrated with his trademark dance in front of the home supporters, an act that earned him a yellow card from referee Francois Letexier for perceived provocation.
The situation escalated dramatically moments later. Vinicius approached the match official to report that Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni had directed a racial slur at him, specifically using the Spanish word "mono," which translates to "monkey." The game was halted for several minutes as the referee consulted with his assistants and the players involved, casting a dark shadow over the contest.
Post-Goal Fallout and Managerial Dismissal
Following the incident, Vinicius Junior was subjected to persistent booing from sections of the Benfica crowd for the remainder of the match. The controversy did not end there. In the dying stages of the game, Benfica's experienced coach, Jose Mourinho, was shown a red card for vehemently protesting a decision from the touchline. This dismissal means Mourinho will be suspended from the touchline for the decisive second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
Despite a lengthy period of twelve minutes of added time, Benfica failed to find an equalizer, leaving them with a formidable task to overturn the deficit away from home. Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa addressed the racism allegation in his post-match comments, stating to broadcaster Movistar, "What happened is something that nobody likes; you have to ask the Benfica player what he said. Racism is something we have to eradicate from the world of football, and if the players don't fix it, then this is very complicated."
Other Champions League Play-Off Action: PSG, Galatasaray, and Dortmund Secure Wins
In other Champions League play-off first leg matches across Europe, there were several notable results. Paris Saint-Germain produced a stunning comeback to defeat AS Monaco 3-2. Monaco raced into a two-goal lead within the first eighteen minutes thanks to a double from Folarin Balogun. PSG's night seemed to worsen as they missed a penalty through Vitinha and lost Ousmane Dembele to injury.
However, substitute Desire Doue inspired a remarkable turnaround. He scored shortly after his introduction, assisted Achraf Hakimi for the equalizer, and then netted the winning goal himself in the second half. Monaco's task was further complicated by a red card shown to Aleksandr Golovin. PSG coach Luis Enrique praised Doue, telling Canal Plus, "He is an incredible player and a different player. I am very pleased for him because he deserved it."
In a goal-fest in Istanbul, Galatasaray secured a spectacular 5-2 victory over Italian giants Juventus. Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for the Turkish side, but Teun Koopmeiners scored twice to give Juventus a halftime lead. The second half belonged entirely to Galatasaray, with Noa Lang scoring a brace, Davinson Sanchez adding another, and substitute Sacha Boey netting a late fifth. Juventus also had Juan Cabal sent off, leaving them with a mountainous challenge in the return leg.
Finally, in Germany, Borussia Dortmund established firm control of their tie with a 2-0 win over Atalanta. Serhou Guirassy opened the scoring with his 16th goal of the season, and Maximilian Beier added a second before the interval, giving Dortmund a commanding advantage ahead of the second leg in Italy.
