Benfica hit back after Prestianni-Vinícius row, report Valverde | OneFootball

Although Real Madrid won the first leg of the Champions League Playoffs against Benfica as visitors, little is being said about the result or Vinícius Júnior’s goal that secured the victory. The scandal between the Brazilian and Gianluca Prestianni is still drawing all the attention.

UEFA has intervened and is conducting an investigation into the alleged racist insults that the Argentine supposedly uttered while covering his mouth with his shirt, as Vini told the referee and as supported by other players like Kylian Mbappé.

On the other side, the player who came up through Vélez Sarsfield denied the accusations and explained that it was the Brazilian who misinterpreted what he said on the field. The second leg is coming up, Prestianni will travel to Madrid, and Benfica has just launched a counterattack, further heating up the series with a spot in the round of 16 as the prize.

As reported by A Bola, the team managed by José Mourinho has filed a complaint with UEFA against Federico Valverde for an off-the-ball assault on Samuel Dahl in the 38th minute of the second half, just after the scandal had erupted and play was stopped due to the ‘racist incident’.

Footage of the moment shows the Uruguayan trying to shake off his opponent with a punch to his face. VAR did not call the referee to review the action, but the aggression was blatant and should have resulted in a red card for “Pajarito.”

In this way, the Champions League series adds a new controversy as the teams gear up for the second leg. Next Wednesday, at 5 p.m. Argentina time, the qualification will be decided at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City await in the round of 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.