Red Card Debate: Did a Real Madrid Star Deserve a Dismissal in Benfica Showdown?
17 February 2026
Match verdict and the red-card debate
A refereeing expert said Real Madrid’s star deserved a red card against Benfica, insisting the referee’s decision wasn’t right.
Real Madrid completed half the job by winning 1-0 at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, taking a step toward the European knockout rounds.
Vinícius Júnior scored the only goal in the 50th minute with a precise left‑sided shot, and the match was halted briefly due to racist abuse aimed at the Brazilian.
Iturralde Gonzalez, a renowned referee analyst for AS and Cadena SER, said: "Valverde should have been sent off. The incident happened in the final 15 minutes; he punched the opponent."
He added: "The punch wasn’t straight, but it deserved a red card."
That, he argued, is a red-card moment—an reckless punch that should have seen Valverde dismissed, even if the strike wasn’t clearly deliberate.
On anti-racism protocols, Iturralde praised the referee’s conduct, noting: "There’s no evidence of insult, so the official did what he could; now UEFA must open an investigation and question a Benfica player to clarify what happened."
As for Vinícius, the expert concluded: "If he refuses to return, the match should be suspended; you can’t finish the game without him."
Punchline 1: If football handed out red cards for bad jokes, the match would be over in seconds.
Punchline 2: My goalkeeper coach once told me the offside rule was optional—works in life, too, apparently.
