It wasn’t just Juventus and Atalanta on Champions League Tuesday. Four additional teams took to the pitch, with two notable top clubs playing away matches.
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In Monaco, PSG faced off against Monaco in a thrilling French derby, with a coveted round of 16 spot on the line.
Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Real Madrid took on Benfica, managed by José Mourinho, in a repeat of their prior group-stage encounter, where Benfica’s goalkeeper, Trubin, clinched a playoff berth with a last-minute header.
BENFICA-REAL MADRID 0-1
In a crucial win for Real Madrid, they triumphantly defeated Benfica in Lisbon, gaining a significant advantage in their two-legged tie. However, the match was less than thrilling, as anticipated.
Arbeloa outperformed his mentor, thanks to the remarkable skills of Vinicius Jr., who, in the 50th minute, dazzled fans with an artistic rainbow shot that hit the top corner. Not even an extraordinary Trubin could stop it.
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⚠️ Vinicius and Allegations of Racist Remarks from Prestianni
Vini is ever the entertainer. The Brazilian star, known for his creativity and impulsiveness, celebrated his goal with a corner flag dance, which earned him a yellow card from the referee, likely an overreaction.
This incident, occurring at the 50th minute, led to a ten-minute halt in the game. The disruption was triggered by an exchange between Vinicius and Prestianni, with Vinicius urging the referee to stop play. Why? The Real player alleged Prestianni had made racist comments like “Mono, mono,” meaning “monkey, monkey.”
It’s challenging to decipher based on lip reading, as the Benfica player hid his mouth with his shirt. During the lengthy delay, Vinicius also conversed with José Mourinho, and it wasn’t a pleasant discussion.
Mourinho won’t be present in a week at the Bernabéu for what would have been his grand return to the venue where he thrived from 2010 to 2013. The Portuguese coach was sent off in the 85th minute for his protests, specifically over requesting a yellow card for… Vinicius!
In the closing moments, Otamendi also got involved. During the final corner kick, the Argentine defender displayed his tattoo of the 2022 World Cup victory, further taunting Vinicius. It was a match marked more by tension than actual football.
MONACO-PSG 2-3
A thrilling match, full of drama and unexpected turns, Monaco-PSG had it all, and for 27 minutes, it seemed that the European champions were truly at risk of elimination.
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Thanks to a brace from former Inter target Balogun in the 1st and 18th minutes, the home team had the upper hand. They also received a boost in the 22nd minute when Vitinha’s missed penalty was expertly saved by Kohn.
Dembélé’s injury at the 27th minute appeared to spell doom for the Parisians, but a substitution from Luis Enrique set the stage for a shocking comeback.
💎 Doué to the Rescue
Luis Enrique brought on Doué to replace the injured Ballon d’Or winner, and just two minutes later, he reignited the match. Before halftime, Hakimi equalized the score.
The game’s turning point occurred in the 48th minute, when a VAR review resulted in a red card for Golovin for a reckless tackle on Vitinha.
Following that incident, PSG took full control, regaining the lead in the 67th minute with another goal from Doué.
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The Parisians, known for their resilience, demonstrated once again that under Luis Enrique’s direction, the champions prevail, no matter how dire the situation.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can view the original version in 🇮🇹 here.