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  • Real Madrid’s Vinicius ⁠Jr ⁠scored a superb second-half goal to secure a 1-0 victory at ⁠Benfica in its Champions League playoff first leg, a match overshadowed by an alleged racist incident that led to an 11-minute stoppage.
  • After a tight first half, Real ‌broke through five minutes after halftime. Mbappe led a counterattack and fed Vinicius, who cut inside and curled a fine shot into the far corner.
  • As Vinicius celebrated, a heated ⁠exchange with Benfica forward ⁠Gianluca Prestianni prompted referee Francois Letexier to activate FIFA’s antiracism protocol. Real’s players briefly threatened to ⁠leave the pitch before play resumed.
  • Benfica pressed late ⁠on but managed only ⁠three shots on target in the match. Their manager, Jose Mourinho, was sent off in ‌the 85th minute after two bookings, as Real claimed a narrow advantage ‌for ‌next Wednesday’s return leg at the Bernabeu.

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