After all that followed it, it may have been forgotten just how good Vinicius Jr's goal to beat Benfica was last week. The Brazil winger has a fine catalogue for Real Madrid, but this was surely among the best. Vinicius cut inside before using the outline of a defender to shape his shot into the top corner. It was a truly wonderful moment of individual expression - one that absolutely should be celebrated.

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni is expected to claim he used homophobic language against Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior after allegedly being called a 'dwarf' by the Brazilian. The first leg of last week's knockout round play-off in the Champions League was marred by claims of racist abuse against the Argentine, whose defence is likely to be rejected.

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has thrown down the gauntlet to UEFA, demanding that European football’s governing body takes decisive action following the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian superstar was reportedly targeted by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during last week’s Champions League play-off first leg, a match that was halted for ten minutes after the incident. Ahead of the return leg at the Bernabeu, Arbeloa insisted that the time for empty gestures has passed and called for a meaningful investigation into the clash.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has called for a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, insisting that homophobia should be treated with the same severity as racism. The Belgian shot-stopper made the comments in the wake of a controversial Champions League clash against Benfica, where Gianluca Prestianni was hit with a provisional suspension for allegedly directing a discriminatory slur at Vinicius Jr. during Madrid's 1-0 win in Lisbon. While the initial accusations centered on a racial slur, reports have suggested the abuse may have been homophobic in nature, prompting Courtois to state that both are equally "deplorable" and have no place in the modern game.

Benfica president Rui Costa has launched a passionate defence of Gianluca Prestianni, labelling UEFA’s decision to suspend the winger for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid as 'unfair'. The Argentine youngster has found himself at the centre of a firestorm following allegations of racial abuse directed at Blancos star Vinicius Junior during a heated first-leg encounter at the Estadio da Luz. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the Portuguese giants are standing firmly behind their man as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Bernabeu.