Vinicius Jr earns Champions League win for Real, in match marred by racism row
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Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr with coach Alvaro Arbeloa and Aurelien Tchouameni, as the Feb 17 match against Benfica was stopped due to racist chants.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MADRID - Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr scored a superb second-half goal to secure a 1-0 victory at Benfica in their Champions League playoff first leg on Feb 17 in a match overshadowed by an alleged racist incident that led to an 11-minute stoppage.
After a tight first half, Real broke through five minutes after halftime. Mbappe led a counter-attack and fed Vinicius, who cut inside and curled a fine shot into the far corner.
As Vinicius celebrated, a heated exchange with Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni prompted referee Francois Letexier to activate FIFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Real’s players briefly threatened to leave the pitch before play resumed.
Benfica pressed late on but managed only three shots on target in the match.
Their manager, Jose Mourinho, was sent off in the 85th minute after two bookings as Real claimed a narrow advantage for the Feb 25 return leg at the Bernabeu. REUTERS
