Article by Viory
Hundreds of football fans flocked to Benfica’s stadium in Lisbon on Tuesday for the Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg between Benfica and Real Madrid – before a ‘racism row’ stopped the match midway.
Play stopped for 10 minutes after Vinicius Junior claimed he had been racially abused – and the team walked off. Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni denied it, saying: “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,”
The Spanish side secured a narrow 1-0 victory in the end.
Footage shows fans dressed in Benfica’s red colours waiting for team buses to arrive before entering the stadium for a high-stakes European match.
Some Benfica supporters said the match was decided in midfield, arguing the Portuguese side started strongly but struggled to match Real Madrid’s control in key areas of the pitch.
“Benfica didn’t come with the right strategy for this game. We started well, but the midfield wasn’t ready for Real Madrid,” said one fan.
Others criticised refereeing decisions, while some fans from both sides described the match as closely contested and entertaining. “Benfica was good the whole game; the referee gave a lot of fouls. To one side it was a foul; to the other it wasn’t. The criteria were completely different. Real Madrid doesn’t leave a chance,” another supporter said.
The result gives Real Madrid a small advantage heading into the second leg/
Article by Viory
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