Vinícius Júnior netted a superb winner as Real Madrid CF edged SL Benfica 1-0 in a fiery first leg of their Champions League play-off at the Estádio da Luz.
Tuesday’s encounter was marred by chaotic scenes, with play halted for about 10 minutes shortly after Vinicius struck in the 50th minute.
The Brazilian looked furious over something said to him and briefly sat in the dugout, appearing unwilling to continue, before returning to complete the match, which also saw Benfica boss José Mourinho dismissed.
Madrid began sluggishly but were pushing hard by the end of the first half, creating several openings. Vinicius fired wide while turning and then set up Kylian Mbappé with an elegant backheel, only for the French forward — who had earlier failed to connect with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s searching cross — to miss his chance.
Mbappé was later denied by Anatolii Trubin after cutting onto his left foot in a crowded box, and the goalkeeper subsequently tipped Arda Güler’s drive around the right post to keep the score level at half-time.
Madrid finally broke through in spectacular fashion after the break, with Vinicius cutting inside Amar Dedić and curling a finish into the net from near the left edge of the area.
The goal was followed by a lengthy stoppage after Vinicius approached referee François Letexier following an exchange with Gianluca Prestianni, prompting officials to halt play under UEFA protocol for allegations of racist abuse.
Madrid maintained control after the restart, with Vinicius forcing another save from Trubin, while tensions flared on the Benfica bench as Mourinho was sent off with five minutes remaining after receiving two cautions in quick succession.
Post-match discussion is likely to centre on the ugly scenes following Vinicius’ goal. The Brazilian was also hit by a bottle thrown from the crowd while preparing to take a corner deep into 13 minutes of added time.
On the footballing side, Vinicius’ sublime strike — his 31st outright goal in the Champions League — saw him surpass Kaká (30) as the second-highest scoring Brazilian in the competition, behind only Neymar (43).
Madrid finished with 16 shots to Benfica’s 10 and held the expected goals advantage, 1.11 to 0.41.
