Vinicius Jr scored a sublime second-half winner as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in their Champions League playoff first leg, a night overshadowed by the Brazilian accusing Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him. The match, played at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, was a critical opening leg in Europe's most prestigious knockout competition, with both teams desperate to advance.
The alleged incident occurred moments after Vinicius had curled Real ahead, five minutes into the second half at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, before referee Francois Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes under FIFA's anti-racism protocol. Vinícius scored to put Madrid ahead in the 50th minute in Lisbon -- the only goal in a 1-0 win -- and was then confronted by Prestianni, after celebrating by the corner flag. What should have been a moment of triumph quickly turned dark when the Brazilian winger was allegedly subjected to abuse moments after his brilliant finish.
Television pictures showed the Argentinian winger covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly suffered racism in Spain during matches. Speaking in the post-match mixed zone, Kylian Mbappé said Prestianni had racially abused Vinícius multiple times, adding that the Argentinian "didn't deserve to play in the Champions League again." Real Madrid's entire squad stood firmly behind their teammate, with Trent Alexander-Arnold telling CBS "It's ruined the night, it's a disgrace to the sport," and "It's a disgrace in society as well." The match experienced ugly scenes with tension that's increasingly common in European football, including objects thrown at the Brazilian star.
Benfica will travel to Madrid next week for the playoff second leg at the Bernabéu on February 25. Meanwhile, Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said that Prestianni had denied racially abusing Vinicius, and hit out at the Brazilian for inciting Benfica's players and fans with his celebration. "When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way," said Mourinho, who was sent off late on for angrily protesting that Vinicius should have received a second booking. Vinicius responded defiantly on Instagram: "Racists are, above all, cowards, they need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are."