Real Madrid edged past Benfica 1–0 in a tense first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off, with Vinícius Júnior scoring the decisive goal in a match overshadowed by controversy.
The Brazilian winger struck early in the second half, but his effort was followed by a lengthy interruption after he reported an alleged abusive remark from a Benfica player.
Play was halted as the situation was addressed, and Vinícius briefly left the field before returning to help Madrid see out the victory.
Benfica started brightly and created several early opportunities, forcing Thibaut Courtois into a string of important saves.
The hosts dominated much of the opening period, but Madrid gradually grew into the contest.
Los Blancos came closest before the break through Kylian Mbappé, who struck the crossbar from close range.
Moments earlier, Trent Alexander-Arnold had delivered a dangerous cross that the forward could not quite convert at full stretch.
The breakthrough arrived after the interval when Vinícius cut inside his marker and curled a superb effort into the top corner to silence the home crowd.
The game’s momentum shifted soon after the goal, as Vinícius signaled the alleged comment from Gianluca Prestianni and sat on the bench while officials dealt with the situation.
Following the delay, he returned to the pitch and remained a constant threat, testing the goalkeeper twice more.
Despite late pressure from Benfica, Real Madrid held firm to secure a narrow but valuable advantage ahead of the return leg.
