Prestianni Fires Then Deletes Explosive Real Madrid Post Ahead of Bernabéu Showdown
Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni posted a scathing attack on Real Madrid on X before quickly deleting it, adding more spice to an already feisty tie.
Gianluca Prestianni just couldn’t help himself. The Benfica winger has been at the centre of this tie’s drama since the first leg, and he’s gone and added another chapter — this time on social media.
The Tweet That Wasn’t There For Long
Prestianni posted on X responding to footage of a Fede Valverde incident that Benfica have been kicking up a fuss about. In the post, he accused Real Madrid of getting special treatment from UEFA, suggesting the whole thing stinks. The tweet was only up for a matter of minutes before he deleted it — but, as always on the internet, screenshots are forever, and the fans had already done their thing.
It’s the kind of move that’s hard to defend. If you’re going to say it, say it. Posting and deleting just makes you look like you bottled it.
UEFA Already Shut Benfica Down
The timing made it even more awkward for Prestianni. Just hours before he fired off that post, UEFA had already rejected Benfica’s appeal to get him cleared for the second leg at the Bernabéu. He’s banned, he’s staying home, and that’s that.
So venting on X wasn’t going to change anything — it just stirred the pot a bit more before a match he won’t even be playing in.
Mourinho Doing Mourinho Things
And if Prestianni’s social media drama wasn’t enough, José Mourinho has been at it too:
- He skipped his pre-match press conference the day before the game — just a no-show, no explanation
- He was also suspended for the first leg
- Reports suggest he won’t even be at the Bernabéu for the second leg, apparently planning to watch from elsewhere as some sort of protest
Say what you like about the man, he never gives you a dull week. The atmosphere around this tie has been absolutely simmering, and Mourinho returning to Madrid for the first time in 13 years was always going to be a bit of a circus.
Real Madrid’s Big Problem: No Mbappé
All the off-pitch noise aside, the actual football question hanging over this one is massive — Kylian Mbappé is out.
- The Frenchman has been struggling with a knee problem and hasn’t made the squad at all
- He’s the top scorer in this season’s Champions League, so it’s not exactly a minor absence
- Gonzalo comes in as the main attacking option up front
Here’s the interesting bit though — the stats suggest the young forward actually performs significantly better when Mbappé isn’t in the side. Whether that’s a coincidence or something more telling about how Madrid set up around the superstar, tonight could be a proper test of that theory.
Benfica will come at Real Madrid with nothing to lose, and the Bernabéu crowd is going to have to do some heavy lifting. It’s a proper night of European football — controversy, suspensions, a sacked press conference, and a missing superstar. Lovely stuff.