Vinícius Júnior dominated the spotlight as Real Madrid CF secured a tense 1-0 victory over SL Benfica in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off. The Brazilian winger not only struck the decisive goal but also led his teammates in briefly walking off the pitch following an alleged racist incident.

The build-up had hinted at drama. Benfica had only just squeezed into the knockout stages in remarkable fashion during the league phase, and with José Mourinho facing his former club, there was an added edge to proceedings.

Yet the contest began cautiously. A moment of brilliance almost sparked it into life when Kylian Mbappé unleashed a fierce effort from distance, forcing a sharp save from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. The Ukrainian was called into action again to deny Arda Güler, while at the other end Tomás Araújo tested Thibaut Courtois with a firm header — a reminder that the hosts carried their own threat.

Both sides traded opportunities before the interval. Vinícius tested Trubin, and Fredrik Aursnes came closest for Benfica, his curling strike drawing a full-stretch stop from Courtois. Madrid piled on pressure late in the half, with Vinícius and Mbappé going close in quick succession, but the 15-time European champions went into the break still searching for a breakthrough.

That moment arrived after the restart — and it came from the man who had looked most likely to deliver it. Collecting the ball inside the left channel, Vinícius danced past his marker, shifted onto his right foot and whipped an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Trubin had no chance as the Brazilian produced a goal worthy of the occasion.

The drama did not end there. Shortly after scoring, Vinícius alerted the referee to an alleged racist remark, prompting a stoppage that lasted nearly 10 minutes as players gathered and tensions simmered. Upon the restart, he nearly doubled his tally, a deflected strike forcing another sharp reflex save from Trubin.

As frustrations grew, Mourinho’s evening ended prematurely when he was shown a red card, a moment that encapsulated the fractious nature of the tie. Benfica, meanwhile, struggled to mount sustained pressure, appearing to hope for a late twist similar to their stoppage-time heroics in the previous round.

The closing stages were overshadowed by further unsavoury scenes, with objects thrown from sections of the crowd toward the Madrid players. Despite the chaos, Madrid held firm to take a slender but valuable advantage back to the Spanish capital ahead of the second leg — well positioned to extend their formidable recent record in two-legged European ties.