Real Madrid star suffers horrific injury

Real Madrid's star player, Raul Asencio, was taken off on a stretcher after a severe clash in the Royal side's win against Benfica in the Champions League play-off return match.

The incident occurred in the second half when the score was tied at 1-1. The 23-year-old center-back jumped high to contest the ball but unfortunately collided heavily with his teammate Eduardo Camavinga. Both fell to the ground in pain, causing concern among players and fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Asencio remained on the ground for an extended period, requiring direct medical attention from Real Madrid's medical team. After thorough examination, his neck was immobilized with a protective brace before he was carried off on a stretcher in the 77th minute, accompanied by applause from the home supporters. David Alaba was brought on as a substitute, while Camavinga also left the field, replaced by Franco Mastantuono, although the French midfielder was able to walk off without assistance.

Earlier, the match was highly intense. Rafa Silva opened the scoring for Benfica, managed by Jose Mourinho. However, just two minutes later, Aurelien Tchouameni equalized for Real Madrid. In the first leg, Mourinho was unable to coach directly due to a suspension.

The turning point came in the 80th minute when Vinicius Jr scored the winning goal for the hosts, replicating his strike from the first leg. Notably, the Brazilian forward repeated the celebration that had earned him a yellow card the previous week, just before the first leg was overshadowed by allegations of racial abuse.

Vinicius had accused Gianluca Prestianni of using racially discriminatory language against him. The 25-year-old star even temporarily left the pitch after reporting the incident to the referee, prompting UEFA to initiate an anti-racism procedure and causing a 10-minute interruption in the match.

Prestianni denied the allegations but was still suspended by UEFA for the second leg. If found guilty, the 20-year-old player could face a minimum 10-match ban.

The victory brings Real Madrid closer to the next round, but Asencio's injury will undoubtedly be a major concern for the Royal team during this crucial stage of the season.