Mourinho stifles Real Madrid in Lisbon and destroys Arbeloa's project
- The Mourinho effect at the Estadio da Luz
- Mbappé scores first and Benfica comes back
- Second half: third goal and standings in flux
- Mbappé's second goal, substitutions and red cards
- Goal in the 98th minute and Mourinho's celebration
- Preliminary round, sanctions and the context of Spanish football
Real Madrid approached the match against Benfica as a formality. Everything had been settled after the six goals against Monaco, and they were looking forward to a quiet January without the Copa del Rey, dedicated to laying the foundations for Arbeloa's project.
The Mourinho effect at the Estadio da Luz
But they didn't count on the Mourinho effect. After the flattery between coaches, where the disciple and the master reminisced about how the past was better, it was time to take to the pitch at the Estadio da Luz in the midst of heavy rain that did not let up throughout the match. There were no friendships there. Carreras himself suffered in his legs from the virulence with which his former teammates faced a decisive duel that, even if they won, would not put them in the previous round, but they decided to fight every minute.
The Real Madrid squad is not prepared for such challenges, either physically or mentally. Too much pace, too much momentum, too much desire to win against a white team that brought a little more pace to the game, enough to beat Villarreal, but not enough to stop a Benfica side led by Otamendi.
Mbappé scores first and Benfica comes back
A perfect cross from Asencio to Mbappé's head opened the scoring. Benfica had had some clear chances, but the Whites struck first. That goal came about solely because the Frenchman made a run that the Whites' youth player saw. There was no tactic, no game plan, just a flash of brilliance. And you can't live on that. Before half-time, Benfica had turned the score around with a header from Schjelderup and a penalty from Pavlidis after another foul by Tchouaméni in the area.
Just after the start of the second half, Schjelderup scored the third, but that did not seem to worry Real Madrid, who considered themselves qualified for the round of 16 among the top eight. At that point in the evening, the standings began to shift dangerously, revealing the potential of Spanish football. Barça came back and would finish in the Top 8, but Atlético were already losing at home to Bodo Glint and Sporting Portugal scored their third goal at San Mamés, leaving Athletic out of the Champions League and sending Real Madrid down to ninth place.
Second half: third goal and standings in flux
Just after the start of the second half, Schjelderup scored the third, but that did not seem to worry Real Madrid, who considered themselves qualified for the round of 16 among the top eight. At that point in the evening, the standings began to shift dangerously, revealing the potential of Spanish football. Barça came back and would finish in the Top 8, but Atlético were already losing at home to Bodo Glint and Sporting Portugal scored their third goal at San Mamés, knocking Athletic out of the Champions League and sending Real Madrid down to ninth place.
Mbappé's second goal did nothing to improve matters. The team was not performing well, and the substitutions ended up destroying morale. Tchouaméni and Güler left the pitch extremely angry with Arbeloa, and rightly so. The new coach has decided that Vinicius and Bellingham are untouchable, in addition to Mbappé, who has earned his place through his goals.
Mbappé's second goal, substitutions and red cards
Mbappé's second goal did nothing to improve matters. The team was not performing well, and the substitutions ended up destroying morale. Tchouaméni and Güler left the pitch extremely angry with Arbeloa, and with good reason. The new manager has decided that Vinicius and Bellingham are untouchable, as is Mbappé, who has earned his place through his goals.
The sendings-off of Asencio and Rodrygo were the result of Real Madrid's desperation as they struggled to find a way to attack their opponents. Mourinho made defensive changes thinking that 3-2 would put them through to the next round, but his assistants and Rui Costa's shouts from the stands woke him up and he sent goalkeeper Trubin forward to take a free kick in the 98th minute. The two-metre goalkeeper, his header and the stands secured a 4-2 win and an agonising qualification for a team that was destined to say goodbye to Europe.
Goal in the 98th minute and Mourinho's celebration
The sendings-off of Asencio and Rodrygo were the result of Real Madrid's desperation to find a way to attack their opponents. Mourinho made defensive changes thinking that 3-2 would put them through to the next round, but his assistants and Rui Costa's shouts from the stands woke him up and he sent goalkeeper Trubin to take a free kick in the 98th minute. The two-metre goalkeeper, his header and the stands secured a 4-2 win and an agonising qualification for a team that was destined to say goodbye to Europe.
The Portuguese coach celebrated the goal as only he knows how, reminiscent of his great European nights with Inter or his victories with Real Madrid against Guardiola's Barça. He even had to ask Arbeloa and Chendo to come to his bench to celebrate with the stands in the middle of the Lisbon downpour.
Preliminary round, sanctions and the context of Spanish football
Real Madrid's darkest night leaves them out of the top eight and with a preliminary round against Bodo Glint or Benfica, once again. But their problems do not end there: two red cards, several warnings and a Bernabéu that on Sunday at two in the afternoon will once again point the finger at the players and the board for terrible planning that leaves Real Madrid badly shaken and unable to cope with the powerful Premier League teams that have five teams among the top eight in Europe.
Spanish football has suffered from the economic suffocation of LaLiga in recent years. Debts to the tax authorities incurred in the 1990s had to be paid off, and then the clubs were subjected to such strict controls on salaries and expenses that teams in the English second division are now signing players from the Spanish second division. Sevilla and Valencia have failed to maintain the expected level, and the Spanish league's only value lies in the fact that Real Madrid and Barça compete in the competition. The rest have been unable to become top teams, but rather caricatures that hover around relegation every season.
Arbeloa does not seem to be the solution. And Mourinho was unable to board the Real Madrid plane as the president would have liked. The management of the players has been too basic, and only a miracle from Pintus to achieve a powerful physique can prevent Real Madrid from sinking in February. Because there is no football. And no footballers either.