Real Madrid's Defeat Forces Them into Champions League Playoffs

After the defeat at the Da Luz stadium, Real Madrid is forced to play in the playoff round. If they overcome it, they will face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who finished eighth in the league phase, or Sporting Lisbon, who came seventh with their victory at San Mamés. Arbeloa's team conceded 22 shots to Benfica, eleven on target, with Thibaut Courtois preventing a heavier defeat with two remarkable saves from Prestrianni and Barreiro. The third defeat in the Champions League group stage condemned Real Madrid. In the draw on Friday, January 30th, Real Madrid will be paired in the round of 16 with Bodo/Glimt, the 23rd-placed team that won its last two group stage matches against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, or with Benfica, which, thanks to the goal of its goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin in the final action of the match, snatched the last spot that gives access to the playoff from Olympique de Marseille. Real Madrid repeated the mistakes of last season's Champions League, condemned for the second consecutive year outside the top eight, forced to play the intermediate round of the round of 16 after falling in Lisbon to Benfica (4-2), who could be their opponent or Bodo/Glimt, with a possible clash against Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon in the round of eight. Eliminated from the Copa del Rey, Arbeloa's team had hoped to have a February with a lighter fixture load had they finished in the top eight, with four league matches (Rayo, Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Osasuna), and the goal of increasing the training load to improve their physical condition. After losing 1-0 at Anfield and 1-2 to City at the Bernabéu, the defeat at the Da Luz stadium to José Mourinho's Benfica was a step back in the growth the team had shown under Álvaro Arbeloa in its last three matches. "They surpassed us in many aspects: in aggression, in duels, with and without the ball. We were very far from the version we have to give," lamented Arbeloa after the defeat against his master Mourinho. Kylian Mbappé's brace, author of 13 of Real Madrid's 21 goals in the Champions League and chasing Cristiano Ronaldo's competition record (17 goals), was not enough for a fragile Real Madrid. "I am responsible for this defeat, just as I was in Albacete, I feel totally responsible when things don't go well and when the objective has not been met," said Arbeloa at a press conference after the match.