Overview
- Vinícius Júnior scored a curling winner in the 50th minute, was booked for his celebration, then reported a racist insult that led referee François Letexier to stop play and activate the protocol for about 10 minutes.
- Television cameras showed Gianluca Prestianni covering his mouth during an exchange with Vinícius, after which the Real Madrid forward told the referee he was called a monkey.
- Benfica and Prestianni denied any racist comment, with the Argentine issuing a statement rejecting the accusation and saying his words were misunderstood.
- The night turned hostile as objects were thrown from the stands, a Benfica staff member was sent off during the delay, and José Mourinho was later dismissed, ruling him out of next week’s return leg.
- Vinícius condemned “cowards” in a post and criticized a “poorly executed” protocol, while teammates, the Brazilian federation and Kylian Mbappé urged strong action, with UEFA expected to examine the incident.