Vinicius Jr scored the only goal of an otherwise controversial fixture as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off. The Brazilian forward's second-half strike was followed by a lengthy delay for an alleged racist remark from a Benfica player to Vinicius.

Benfica face Real Madrid in a crucial 2025-26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoff first leg. Follow along for minute-by-minute updates of this high-stakes encounter!

Benfica take on Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday night, and you can follow it all here with ESPN.

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has continued to praise his players for their work, while giving away little about his plans before they face Benfica in the Champions League play-off round. The

Arbeloa’s squad for the LaLiga game is missing an injured trio, although Kylian Mbappé and Raúl Asencio are available.