Red alert at Real Madrid

Europe 29 January 2026 at 06:24

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI

News Editor

28.01.26 FT Champions League

Benfica

4

:

Real Madrid

2

The defeat suffered on Benfica's turf (4-2) has left deep scars on the Real Madrid side. Beaten in a high-intensity clash, the Madrid players collapsed right up to the final whistle, conceding a goal as symbolic as it was humiliating from the opposing goalkeeper. A nightmarish evening, ending with nine men against eleven, only intensified the unease around a team losing its bearings.

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Growing concern around Real Madrid

After the match, Kylian Mbappé did not hide his frustration:

"We're missing a bit of everything. (...) Benfica were playing for their lives. But not us. (...) We simply deserve our current position."

A harsh assessment, echoed by Jude Bellingham, who was just as dismayed by the recent performances.

For his part, coach Álvaro Arbeloa took full responsibility for the defeat:

"I take full responsibility for this loss. (...) We lacked a lot of things to beat Benfica today."

But his statement did little to calm an increasingly alarmist Madrid press, as Real navigates through a storm whose outcome remains uncertain.

Related teams and leagues

Benfica

Real Madrid

Champions League