Real Madrid earn slim lead over Benfica amid fury over racism incident

Elsewhere, Galatasaray stormed to victory over Juventus and there were wins for Borussia Dortmund and PSG SportFootballReal Madrid earn slim lead over Benfica amid fury over racism incidentElsewhere, Galatasaray stormed to victory over Juventus and there were wins for Borussia Dortmund and PSGMichael Jones Tuesday 17 February 2026 22:55 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in gallery(AFP via Getty Images)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreReal Madrid earned a small lead in their Champions League play-off tie with Benfica on a testing night in Lisbon. Vinicius Jr scored a brilliant second half goal to secure the win and earn Real a one-goal lead to take into their next leg thanks to a curling, dipping strike from the just outside the penalty area on the left side. But, his strike will be overshadowed by the scenes that followed with Vinicius firstly being shown a yellow card for an exuberant celebration in front of the home fans before the Brazilian then reported an alleged racist comment made against him to the referee. That resulted in an 11-minute stoppage before the match resumed and Benfica boss Jose Mourinho was sent off for receiving two yellow cards in the game. Madrid host Benfica for the second leg at the Bernabeu next Wednesday. RecommendedVitor Pereira embraces pressure as Nottingham Forest’s fourth boss of seasonReal Madrid’s Champions League clash with Benfica halted over alleged racist incidentBukayo Saka signs new five-year deal with ArsenalOver in Turkey, Galatasaray and Juventus played out a seven-goal thriller but it was the home side who took the spoils with a 5-2 victory at RAMS Park. Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for the hosts before a brace from Teun Koopmeiners saw the Serie A side equalise and then take the lead heading into the half time break. Second halfgoals from Noa Lang, Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey sent Galatasaray into an huge lead and they will travel to Turin with a three-goal lead. open image in gallery(AFP via Getty Images)In Germany, striker Serhou Guirassy scored one goal and created another as Borussia Dortmund claimed a 2-0 victory over Atalanta.The match kicked off 15 minutes late as the Dortmund team bus was caught in traffic, but they were fast out of the blocks as Guirassy put the home side in front inside three minutes with a header at the back post. Max Beier doubled the lead in the 42nd minute with that goal enough to earn victory for the German side. open image in gallery(REUTERS)Finally, Champions League holders Paris Saint Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away from home.Desire Doue came off the bench to spark the comeback and netted two goals and setting one up for Achraf Hakimi to earn a win for the French champions. Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle on Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline VAR screen..The European champions host the return leg in Paris next Wednesday.More aboutReal MadridBenficaGalatasarayVinicius JrChampions LeagueJose MourinhoJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next