Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 advantage over Benfica in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off on Tuesday, a match overshadowed by a serious allegation from Vinicius Junior.
The contest at the Santiago Bernabeu was goalless until the 52nd minute when the Brazilian forward scored the decisive goal. Cutting in from the left flank, Vinicius curled a stunning effort into the top corner. His subsequent celebration, which involved a dance near the corner flag, earned him a yellow card.
Shortly after scoring, Vinicius claimed he was subjected to racial abuse from spectators, prompting the referee to suspend the match for more than ten minutes while stadium authorities addressed the situation. Madrid manager Jose Mourinho also received two yellow cards during the evening, resulting in his dismissal from the technical area. The victory served as partial revenge for Madrid’s 4-2 group stage defeat to Benfica earlier in the season.
In the other Champions League play-off ties, Paris Saint-Germain produced a remarkable comeback at home. Trailing Monaco 2-0 at halftime, the Ligue 1 champions scored three unanswered goals in the second half to claim a 3-2 lead ahead of the second leg. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund earned a clean sheet and a 2-0 victory over Atalanta in Germany.
These first-leg results set the stage for decisive second matches next week. Madrid will travel to Lisbon with a slim lead but must address the serious incident involving their star player. PSG, despite their comeback, face a tricky away fixture in Monaco. Dortmund and Atalanta will reconvene in Italy with the German side in a commanding position. The aggregate winners will progress to the Champions League round of 16.
