Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior the matchwinner in fiery Champions League encounter | OneFootball

10-minute delay occurred for an investigation into racist abuse on Real Madrid star

Star of the show: Vinicius Junior

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Vinicius Junior was at the heart of a chaotic Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The Brazilian scored the winner in a 1-0 win for Real in the first leg of the play-offs to qualify for the knockout stages.

However, in the aftermath of his strike, the Brazilian appeared outraged, suggesting to referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni, the Benfica winger, who had seemed to utter something to the forward with his shirt covering his mouth.

Vinicius had antagonised the home support celebrating 50th-minute wonderstrike, and he was booked for his troubles.

A 10-minute delay ensued, with a melee breaking out on the Estadio da Luz pitch, which saw a member of Real Madrid’s coaching staff red carded and Kylian Mbappe incensed.

The Madrid players rushed to calm Vinicius down, with the forward slumped on the bench while chaos broke out.

Eventually, the game kicked back off again on the hour, and former Real boss Jose Mourinho, in the Benfica dugout, was given his marching orders for a fiery reaction to a foul on Evangelos Pavlidis by Eduardo Camavinga on the edge of the area.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid, looking to avenge their 4-2 defeat by this opposition last month, should have been out of sight with the number of chances that they had, with Vinicus missing a gilt-edged opportunity in the first half, followed by Mbappe not making contact with a superb cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Mbappe, who had been an injury worry in the build-up after being rested in the league, shanked another chance high and wide after neat interplay with his strike partner.

Regardless, it gives the 15-time European champions a lead to take back to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg, and has them one foot into the last 16 after a dramatic evening in Lisbon.