Real Madrid handled business at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night, securing a 2–1 victory over Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs to book their place in the last 16.
Things got off to a nervy start in the Spanish capital after Rafa Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, momentarily pulling the tie level. But the rest of the game was all Los Blancos, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vinicius Junior finding the back of the net to seal the aggregate win.
Real Madrid avoided catastrophe and now advance to the round of 16, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting CP. Álvaro Arbeloa’s men will take away plenty from their performance in the second leg, but there are also worrying questions looming over the team in the upcoming weeks.
Here’s four things we learned from another Champions League victory under the lights at the Bernabéu.
A Heavily-Criticized Midfield Proves Itself Worthy
Ever since the team bid farewell to Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić in back-to-back seasons, its remaining midfielders have been under fire—and rightfully so—for their deficiencies. Things only got worse once Jude Bellingham suffered a hamstring injury at the beginning of February.
Yet in the biggest game of the season, Real Madrid’s heavily criticized midfielders rose to the occasion. Tchouaméni played hero in the first half, getting the hosts on the scoresheet with a sensational curling strike from the edge of the area, looking like Kroos reincarnated.
The goal was the Frenchman’s first-ever Champions League goal, and it was set up by fellow midfielder Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan was also involved in the build-up of what looked to be Los Blancos’ second goal, scored by another midfielder in Arda Güler, but it was wiped away for offsides. The team’s actual second came from Vinicius Jr, set up by Valverde again.
It hasn’t been an easy season for any of the aforementioned players, but they deserve their flowers for engineering much of their team’s attack in this match, finally playing with a freedom and creativity on the night that has been lacking in recent weeks.
Defensive Woes Continue to Define Real Madrid
At the crux of Real Madrid’s struggles over the last two years has been their flimsy, often times infuriating defense. The team is easily carved apart in the blink of an eye, and Benfica took full advantage in the early stages.
Pick the person to blame for Rafa Silva’s opener. There’s Álvaro Carreras completely caught out of position, leaving Eduardo Camavinga to race after Vangelis Pavlidis to no avail. There’s Raúl Asencio, whose poorly-attempted clearance forced his own goalkeeper into a diving save. Antonio Rüdiger, meanwhile, was jogging back, looking wildly uninterested in getting involved, and Trent Alexander-Arnold allowed Silva to make a largely uncontested run into the box.
The excuse of injuries hampering the backline are old and played out. Sure, the team would be much more solid defensively with Éder Militão and perhaps even Dean Huijsen on the pitch. But the starters in white do not have to be world class to simply avoid needless errors or maintain shape.
Lapses in judgement at the back have punished Real Madrid all season long. Whether it’s giving up a head-scratching penalties, getting sent off in critical moments or committing an individual blunder on the ball, Arbeloa’s defense hurts the team more than it helps half the time.
Los Blancos might have escaped against Benfica, but future opponents of a higher quality will make the team pay for such shortcomings.
Kylian Mbappé’s Injury Looms Large
It goes without saying that Real Madrid missed their leading goalscorer Kylian Mbappé, who is dealing with a nagging knee injury. With Benfica playing more open and pushing forward, there would have been plenty of space for the Frenchman to exploit on the counter attack, where his speed would have been a game-changer for the hosts.
Even if he doesn’t get on the scoresheet, the mere presence of Mbappé forces defenses to commit resources to containing him, leaving Vinicius Jr or Güler with unexpected room to operate. Without the forward on the pitch, Arbeloa’s attack is a lot easier to predict and stifle.
Los Blancos survived their first test of Mbappé’s absence, but more loom on the horizon. Against a pesky La Liga team intent to defend with 10 players behind the ball, they will find it much more difficult to create and finish off the opportunities necessary to secure important wins.
Gonzalo García is a dangerous No. 9, but he lacks the ability to completely flip a game on its head. Yes, the youngster is capable of bagging crucial goals, but then there are times like on Wednesday night, where he had just 21 touches and zero shots in 84 minutes. Such inconsistency is no way to contend for the European and Spanish crowns.
Nothing Will Stop Vinicius Jr From Dancing
Real Madrid’s tie with Benfica has been completely overshadowed by an cloud of racism after Gianluca Prestianni allegedly called Vinicius Jr a “monkey” in the first leg. The Argentine maintains his innocence, but he was still suspended from the second lag as UEFA investigates the accusations.
The incident between the two players came after Vinicius Jr scored a wondrous goal at the Estádio da Luz, which he celebrated by running to the corner flag and dancing. The referee inexplicably gave him a yellow card for his actions before tensions in Lisbon turned ugly.
Fast forward one week later and Vinicius Jr responded in the best way he knows how—getting on the scoresheet. A brilliant ball from Valverde unleashed the No. 7, who was in acres of space down the left flank. The winger calmly sized up goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin before sending a right-footed finish into the bottom right corner.
Vinicius Jr went right to the corner flag again, this time in front of a sea of white shirts, and pulled out his signature moves. The 25-year-old has now found the back of the net six times in his last five matches, showing a resilience in the face of adversity that is utterly admirable.
