At any other time, this second leg of the Champions League round of 32 between Real Madrid and Benfica would have been a toss-up with the whites’ sporting moment marking the news prior to the momentous clash, but what happened seven days ago in the first leg between Prestianni and Vinícius has gone beyond the merely sporting.
The match played at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon ended 0-1 in favor of Madrid, thanks to a great goal from the Brazilian that was marred by everything that happened afterwards. The ‘7’ of Madrid went to dance next to the corner flag, something that did not sit very well with the local fans. Shortly afterwards, when passing next to Prestianni, you can see how the Argentine covers his mouth with his shirt and there begins a controversy that has ended with the Benfica footballer being provisionally sanctioned with one game without playing for his alleged racist insults.
Despite this sanction, the player has traveled with Benfica to Madrid in the hope that the appeal presented by the club to UEFA will allow him to be on the pitch at the Bernabéu.
Vinícius ran towards the referee to indicate that Prestianni had called him “monkey” on several occasions, which triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol and kept the match stopped for 10 minutes. The Lisbon team winger ended up being sent off.
After the duel, Mbappé came out in defense of his teammate and assured the media that Prestianni had uttered racist insults up to five times. “Benfica’s number 25, I don’t want to say his name, doesn’t deserve it, he has said that Vini is a monkey five times. He doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League again,” the ‘merengue’ striker indicated to the media, with obvious anger.
Precisely Mbappe is the doubt at Real Madrid until the last minute for his knee ailments. Arbeloa did not rule out his participation, but the French press assumes that he has to take a break.
A controversy in which the Benfica coach, José Mourinho, has also been pointed out for not being forceful and justifying his player. “Vinícius told me one thing and Prestianni another, why do you celebrate like this? Why?” said the Portuguese after the game.
The Portuguese’s return to the Bernabéu 12 years, 8 months and 24 days after his departure from Real Madrid will not be as expected. His expulsion in the first leg means that he is not on the visitors’ bench and will be relegated to an unexpected background in his reunion with Real Madrid.
Furthermore, in the face of so much commotion, Mourinho, “uno di noi’, as Arbeloa himself defined it in the run-up to the clash that already faced them on the eighth day of the Champions League regular phase and which ended with a resounding defeat for Madrid (4-2), will not appear at a press conference by decision of Benfica, with the intention of not generating more controversy, before and after the match, in response to the questions raised by journalists, something that “one of their boys” has done.
“We are facing a great opportunity to mark a before and after; “UEFA has the opportunity to not leave it alone, it’s a nice slogan and on a banner before the games,” said the Real Madrid coach in the previous press conference.
Arbeloa was also critical of Mourinho, although without mentioning it. “I think Vini scored a very nice goal and that nothing he can do justifies an act of racism. I repeat it now because there is nothing that justifies something like that.”
The vision of the Real Madrid coach is opposite to that of Rui Costawho came out in defense of Prestianni before the clash. “They are crucifying him and it is anything but racist,” declared the Benfica president.
Rui Costa defends Prestianni: “They are crucifying him and he is anything but racist”
Madrid, faced with the challenge of not throwing away the Champions League ahead of time
But beyond the controversy over Prestianni’s racist insults to Vinícius, there is one unavoidable thing and that is Real Madrid’s need not to fall into apathy that floods him this season and that makes him unpredictable in every game he plays.
Real Madrid fans do not know what to expect in each duel their team plays. Last weekend, in the League match against Osasuna, they once again showed a poor version that ended with a defeat (2-1) and goodbye to the ephemeral leadership achieved the previous week, after Barcelona’s setback in the Catalan derby against Girona.
Once again, when it seemed that Arbeloa had found the key that Xabi Alonso never knew how to press and that cost him his job at the beginning of the year, the team fell once again when it was their turn to defend the lead in El Sadar.
Madrid came from a positive dynamic after the win against Real Sociedad on matchday 24 which, together with the defeat of Barça, returned the leadership of the League, something that had not happened since November 30 of last year.
Furthermore, a few days later they faced Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs with the intention of getting the pass back on track and returning the blow they received against the Lisbon team on the last day of the regular phase, when they lost giving a terrible image and were also left out of the ‘top 8’.
The image they gave, beyond the racist controversy carried out by Prestianni against Viníciuswas from a hungry team that was able to leave the Estádio da Luz with qualification to the round of 16 in its pocket, but nothing could be further from the truth. Saturday’s match against Osasuna made the ghosts that haunt the white club more present than ever with classification at stake.
To avoid surprises, Álvaro Arbeloa could count on Bellingham, who is already training with his other teammates after his injury, although he will still not be able to have Rodrygo, in the final phase of his recovery, although he would not be able to play due to suspension. Huijsen will also miss the clashwith muscle problems, which will give Rüdiger the starting place to partner with Asencio, also ready for the duel.
He who cannot Adding to the cause is Ceballoswho fell out of favor again against Osasuna when it seemed that he could have more presence in the ‘elevens’. The Utrerano will be out for between six and seven weeks. The one who is already ready is Mendy, although it seems difficult for him to take Carreras’ place. Another of the strong men of the squad, Fede Valverde, will return to ownership after the precautions taken by his coach in the last games.
Arbeloa needs to bring out the best version of his players so as not to be surprised ahead of time and to pass like in the Copa del Rey, where a little less than a month and a half ago he was surprised in his debut on the bench with ‘Albacetazo’.
