Madrid, Feb. 24 -- Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said winger Vinicius Jr is "very eager and very motivated" as the Spanish champions prepare to host Benfica in Wednesday's Champions League play-off second leg.
Madrid carries a 1-0 advantage from last week's first leg in Lisbon, in a match overshadowed by allegations of a racist insult aimed at Vinicius by Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni after the Brazilian scored the game's only goal.
Prestianni has been provisionally suspended by UEFA while an investigation is ongoing. Benfica will also be without head coach Jose Mourinho, who led Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, after the Portuguese was sent off in the first leg for protesting a separate refereeing decision, according to Xinhua...