Vinicius Junior scored a wonder goal but was also caught up in a moment of real controversy as Real Madrid took control of this UEFA Champions League play-off with a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg in Lisbon.
The visitors were hoping to banish memories of a 4-2 loss to The Eagles in the League Phase just 20 days earlier, and they should have led at the interval with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius missing several chances.
The Brazilian then broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart with a sublime solo strike before chaos ensued that led to a near 10-minute delay.
The forward took a seat in the dugout in protest at what appeared to be alleged comments made in his direction following his celebrations, with the referee believed to have activated the anti-racism protocol.
It remains to be seen what will develop in the aftermath of this match, but a fiery contest culminated with Eagles boss Jose Mourinho being sent off for venting his frustration at the official.
The sides will now reconvene for the second leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, February 25 with Los Blancos firmly in charge.
