Vinicius Jr has the final say as Real Madrid triumph on a night of animosity, but the football felt inconsequential – and Jose Mourinho’s selfish approach didn’t help, writes DOMINIC KING

Somewhere, amongst it all, a game of football was being played but through the thrills and spills, it all felt inconsequential.

How could you possibly begin to focus on Real Madrid’s attempts to conquer Europe once more or think about Benfica’s potential when everywhere you turned there was a rumpus unfolding while the stench of animosity lingered heavily.

The second leg of this Iberian showdown was never going to be straightforward, not after the awful scenes in Lisbon last week when Vinicius Jnr alleged he had been racially abused by the Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni, having scored a mesmerising goal.

Prestianni received a one-match suspension – unfair in his opinion – but he appealed to UEFA to have it overturned. For once, those in Nyon stood firm and upheld the ban, insisting the 20-year-old stay at the team hotel rather than travel to the Santiago Bernabeu.

‘Punch someone in the face openly; no punishment. Suspending someone with no proof. They don’t even try to hide it with Real Madrid anymore. What a disgrace,’ Prestianni squawked on social media when learning his fate before hastily deleting his post.

How preposterous and how pathetic. The irony of him making an accusation that something isn’t being hidden should not be lost on anyone, given he hoisted his shirt to cover his mouth before – according to Kylian Mbappe – referring to Vinicius as ‘a monkey’ five times.

But the football tonight felt inconsequential after Vinicius (left) accused Gianluca Prestianni (centre) of racist abuse during last week’s first leg in Lisbon 

We can only hope that, one day, the full truth will come out but what can be said with certainty is that the incident deeply wounded Vinicius – and how bleak it has been to see him subjected to more abuse for standing up to bigotry.

More than 4000 Benfica fans had travelled to Madrid, hoping for a result for the ages, but their initial intention was to lampoon Vinicius: the whistling of him started when he ran out to warm up then it arrived 64 seconds into the match and again 76 seconds later.

All the while, there was no sign of the Firestarter supreme. Jose Mourinho, also serving a one-match ban for the red card he received in Lisbon, exercised his right not to take on media duties either before or after the match and what a depressing, selfish approach that proved to be.

It’s probably akin to thinking you will one day find a Unicorn grazing in a meadow to expect a man like Mourinho to change in his 60s but has he not thought for a moment in the last seven days about the platform he has to speak with sense and calm rather than make it feel there is persecution?

Emotions were always set to run high, with Mourinho returning to the Bernabeu for the first time in 13 years, but there was a nasty edge as local media had widespread footage of Benfica fans clashing on the streets with Spanish police, who will never flinch if the chance to twirl a baton arrives.

All that logged and we haven’t even looked at the game, which was suitably chaotic. Many still think Real can lift the Champions League but you would suggest those who do haven’t been watching closely because they are disorganised mess.

They have some brilliant players and how wonderful it was to see Vinicius provide the flourish that mattered, deep into the second period, when he streaked on to a pass and held off Nicolas Otamendi – who had been chuntering in his ear all night – before finishing calmly.

Here was his 13th goal of the campaign, a moment that triggered a bright smile. But let’s not kid ourselves that the whole experience was a challenge for him and his frustrations, occasionally, looked like they might boil over, not least when he was elbowed in the face before half-time.

There is much to admire about Spanish football but the way authorities have enabled Vinicius to be abused so frequently by rival fans for such a long period is criminal and the men in charge – yes, you, Javier Tebas – have a duty to oversee a change in this depressing culture.

Tensions and emotions ran high throughout the night and things got violent outside the Bernabeu ahead of kick-off as Benfica fans clashed with Spanish riot police

Mourinho was nowhere to be seen after his inflammatory comments after last week’s first leg

Again, we shouldn’t hold our breath. Much like waiting for commonsense and class from Mourinho, it is likely to be a long time coming, so at least Vinicius exacted retribution in the best possible way with his dancing feet.

How Madrid need him. They are shorn of several big players but they look distinctly ordinary and if they are drawn against Manchester City in the next round, it is likely they will be ripped to shreds as a team with more gumption than Benfica would have done that here.

Mourinho must have thought he was going to get the result he craved when Rafa Silva, in the 13th minute, took advantage of dreadful defending to level the tie but, within 90 seconds, Aurelien Tchouameni equalised with his first Champions League for Madrid.

It took the wind from Benfica’s sails and settled Madrid’s nerves. But, again, with all that had played out, the football seemed secondary.