Benfica vs Real Madrid Review
Vinícius Júnior was the focal point in Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout play-off, scoring the winning goal and leading his teammates off the pitch following an alleged racist incident. The early part of the game was relatively cautious, with Kylian Mbappé nearly igniting the match with a powerful shot from the edge of the box that Trubin saved well. The Benfica goalkeeper had to stay alert again shortly after to block a shot from Arda Güler.
During the first half, both teams exchanged attacks, with Vinícius Júnior testing the visitors’ defense, while Fredrik Aursnes missed what was arguably Benfica’s best opportunity in the opening 45 minutes by curling a shot that Courtois had to fully stretch to save. Vinícius and Mbappé both came close within seconds of each other before halftime. Despite this, the record 15-time European champions went into the break level, likely reflecting on their missed chances. The game’s first goal came from what could be considered a half-chance, as Vinícius finally did what he had been threatening all evening.
He skillfully dribbled into the box from an inside-left position, shifted the ball onto his preferred right foot, and curled a stunning shot into the top corner, leaving Trubin with no chance. Shortly after, Vinícius was involved in a controversy when he reported an incident, believed to be a racial remark from a Benfica player, which led to the game being temporarily stopped. After a pause of just under 10 minutes, the match resumed. Following his first goal, which made him the outright second-highest Brazilian scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 31 goals, Vinícius nearly scored again when a deflected shot forced Trubin into a sharp reflex save.
Mourinho’s red card perfectly summed up the farcical nature the game had taken. The final minutes were spoiled by more ugly incidents, with objects thrown from the crowd at the Madrid players, but Madrid secured the crucial advantage of a lead to take back to Spain for next week’s second leg, where they appear well positioned to extend their impressive record of 10 wins in their last 12 two-legged European matches.
