Benfica believes Valverde should have been sent off for the incident in the 83rd minute of their match at the Estadio da Luz. Former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez agreed, stating 'That's a red card. He throws a punch without any sense... it should have been Valverde's sending off, even if he didn't make an impact.' If UEFA finds Valverde guilty of violent conduct, he could face a suspension and potentially miss next week's second leg at the Bernabeu.
However, the report notes that Benfica's complaint is unlikely to result in punishment, as UEFA would need to discredit the referee's and VAR's criteria, which has rarely occurred.