Real Madrid's Narrow Victory Marred by Racism Incident in Champions League
Real Madrid earned a slender 1-0 advantage in their Champions League play-off tie against Benfica during a contentious evening in Lisbon. The match, held on Tuesday 17 February 2026, saw Vinicius Jr. score a stunning second-half goal to secure the win for the Spanish giants.
Vinicius Jr. broke the deadlock with a curling, dipping strike from just outside the penalty area on the left side, giving Real Madrid a one-goal lead to carry into the second leg at the Bernabeu next Wednesday. However, his moment of brilliance was quickly overshadowed by subsequent events that cast a dark shadow over the fixture.
Racism Incident and Match Disruption
Following his goal, Vinicius Jr. was shown a yellow card for an exuberant celebration in front of the home fans. The Brazilian forward then reported an alleged racist comment made against him to the referee, leading to an 11-minute stoppage as officials addressed the situation.
The incident added to the match's tension, with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho receiving two yellow cards and being sent off during the game. The racism allegation is expected to be investigated further by UEFA, highlighting ongoing concerns about discrimination in European football.
Other Champions League Play-off Results
Elsewhere in the Champions League play-offs, Galatasaray delivered a dominant performance with a 5-2 victory over Juventus at RAMS Park in Turkey. Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for the hosts, but Teun Koopmeiners scored twice to give Juventus the lead at halftime.
Galatasaray stormed back in the second half with goals from Noa Lang, Davinson Sanchez, and Sacha Boey, securing a commanding three-goal advantage to take into the return leg in Turin.
In Germany, Borussia Dortmund claimed a 2-0 win over Atalanta despite a delayed kick-off due to traffic issues affecting their team bus. Striker Serhou Guirassy headed in the opening goal within three minutes, and Max Beier added a second before halftime to seal the victory.
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain mounted a remarkable comeback to defeat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away from home. After falling two goals behind, substitute Desire Doue sparked the revival by scoring twice and assisting Achraf Hakimi's goal.
Monaco played most of the second half with ten men after Aleksandr Golovin received a red card for a studs-up tackle on Vitinha, with the referee upgrading the initial caution after consulting the VAR screen. PSG will host the return leg in Paris next Wednesday.
