All articles tagged with #real madrid
Pep Guardiola urged UEFA to change Champions League knockout rules to avoid repeat matchups after Manchester City were drawn with Real Madrid again, their 13th meeting since 2020; he also noted Arsenal faces a tough path and stressed that no team has an easy route to lifting the trophy.
Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to advance to the next round, with Tchouaméni opening the scoring and Vinícius Jr. sealing the win after a dominant all-around display from Valverde, who supplied two assists. Courtois made four saves, including a remarkable first-half stop, while Raúl Asencio was stretchered off with an injury and Arda Güler marked his 100th appearance with quality on the ball amid some defensive vulnerabilities.
Vinícius Júnior's 80th-minute strike sealed Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Benfica at the Bernabéu, sending them 3-1 on aggregate to the Champions League last 16 despite away fans booing him after last week's racism controversy; Aurélien Tchouaméni had equalized after Rafa Silva's opener, and Madrid displayed anti-racism banners.
Real Madrid announced its starting XI for the Champions League Round of 32 return leg against Benfica, holding a 1-0 aggregate lead and needing only a draw to advance; the lineup includes Gonzalo García replacing Mbappé and Alexander-Arnold back in the XI, with Benfica's predicted lineup also listed. Kick-off is 21:00 CET at the Bernabéu, with broadcast options on Movistar Liga Campeones (Spain) and streaming via Paramount+, DAZN, and Amazon Prime Video (USA).
UEFA’s Appeals Body rejected Benfica’s bid to overturn Gianluca Prestianni’s provisional one‑match ban for alleged discriminatory language toward Vinicius Jr, meaning the Argentine winger will miss Benfica’s second leg at Real Madrid. The ban remains in place pending a full ethics and disciplinary investigation, with Benfica acknowledging the appeal was unlikely to change the outcome. Prestianni trained with the squad at Real Madrid’s stadium as the tie approaches and a further punishment could follow if the investigation substantiates the allegations.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, under UEFA review and with a provisional suspension, is set to claim Vinícius Júnior called him a 'dwarf' during the Champions League play-off with Real Madrid. Mbappé backs Vinínius’ account of the abuse, and Prestianni could face a ban of up to ten games for racial slurs and homophobic language under UEFA rules.
Osasuna claimed a 2-1 home win over Real Madrid as Thibaut Courtois produced a standout early save but conceded a harsh penalty; Madrid’s defense looked exposed by Osasuna’s high line, with Carvajal underperforming and Mbappé failing to click, while Vinícius Jr. and Fede Valverde carried the visitors and created Madrid’s best moments, though the team wilted after Valverde was subbed off and late substitutions failed to alter the result.
Osasuna beat Real Madrid 2-1 at El Sadar as Budimir converted a first-half penalty after Courtois saved, Vinícius Júnior leveled for Madrid in the second half, and Raúl Asencio sealed the win with a late finish after a setup from Raúl García.
Real Madrid defeated Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon with Vinícius Júnior scoring the winner, after a 10-minute stoppage due to racist abuse. Mourinho addressed the incident by saying he wouldn’t take sides, urged respectful celebrations, defended Benfica’s history, and noted that racism occurs in many stadiums while emphasizing his independence in judging the situation.
The piece uses a Benfica–Real Madrid match and Vinícius Jr.'s goal as a case study to argue that racist abuse remains endemic in football, condemning club leadership and pundits while urging systemic change beyond hollow rhetoric.
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior scored a brilliant winner in Lisbon, but missiles, allegations of racist abuse from Benfica fans, and a hostile atmosphere dominated the night, prompting post-match debate, Mourinho’s comments, Mbappé’s remarks, and UEFA to review the incident.
Jose Mourinho sparked widespread backlash by suggesting Vinicius Junior provoked racist abuse during Benfica's 1-0 win over Real Madrid, claiming Benfica isn’t racist because its greatest Black legend is Eusebio; Gianluca Prestianni denied racist insults; Clarence Seedorf, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards criticized Mourinho, while Vinicius publicly condemned racist abuse in a post calling for punishment of racists. The piece frames the controversy as part of ongoing battles against racism in football and advocates an independent investigation if accusations are proven.
Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory at Benfica in the Champions League first leg, thanks to Vinícius Jr.’s decisive goal and a display built on defensive authority and midfield control. Courtois produced a world-class save, Rüdiger led the defense, and Camavinga and Tchouaméni helped control the middle, with Mbappé having chances but not finishing; Vinícius Jr. faced racist abuse from sections of the crowd yet showed immense resilience ahead of the return leg.
Vinicius Junior reported alleged racist abuse by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid's 1-0 win, triggering a 10-minute stoppage; Mourinho sparked backlash by suggesting Vinicius celebrated disrespectfully and questioning whether Benfica is racist, comments described as a ‘big mistake’ by Seedorf and condemned by Alexander-Arnold. The incident drew further condemnation from Mbappe and Henry, with calls for urgent UEFA action ahead of the second leg.
Real Madrid’s Champions League knockout tie at Benfica was paused for 10 minutes after Vinicius Junior alleged racist abuse; following a discussion with referee Francois Letexier and an interaction with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, play resumed with Real Madrid leading 1-0. The match finished 1-0 after extended stoppage time (12 minutes), during which an object struck Vinicius. Vinicius posted a condemnation of racism on Instagram, while Pavlidis defended Prestianni and no further comments from him have been issued.