Alvaro Arbeloa reacts to potential Man City tie after Real Madrid beat Benfica to advance to Champions League last 16

After earning a 1-0 win in a tense first leg in Lisbon last week, Madrid suffered a scare in the first half of the return fixture in Spain. Rafa Silva gave the Eagles the lead on the night and levelled the tie only for Aurelien Tchouameni to put Madrid back in the driving seat two minutes later. Fittingly, it was Vinicius Junior's 80th minute strike that ensured there was no doubt of his side's place in the last-16, where they will face either City or Sporting CP. 

“I’m just happy to be in the draw, which was tonight’s goal," Arbeloa told reporters. "People have already gotten used to a Manchester City matchup, as it’s now six or seven years in a row. That’s many, but I’m sure we’ll face them again. The opponent doesn’t matter because it will be an incredibly difficult tie, especially knowing we’ll play the second leg away. Both opponents will be tough to beat.”

He added: “Portuguese teams have a lot of quality, are always very competitive, and playing the second leg there will be very challenging. Let’s see what happens on Friday. If I’m not mistaken, our Youth League team has also drawn Sporting de Portugal. Let’s see what the draw brings. If we have to return to Portugal, I’d be delighted to go back to a neighboring country with which we have a great relationship, and that city brings back great memories for me. It will always be special for all Madrid fans. It will surely be a great tie.”

Madrid had to work for their success against a disciplined Benfica side that looked to frustrate the hosts. Arbeloa admitted his side struggled initially but found their rhythm after the interval. “Not every day are the second halves better than the first,” he noted. “Perhaps my half-time talks are better than my pre-game talks. I'll have to take a look at that. In the first leg, we had a great first half, and today Benfica pressed us a lot and made things very difficult for us. Fortunately, we managed to equalise quickly, and it was a shame about the disallowed goal by Güler. We improved as the game went on. It’s true that whenever we adjust something that is troubling us, we manage to fix it in the second half, and that’s also good news.”

The coach also addressed the tactical challenge of breaking down defensive setups, an area he believes his star-studded squad can still refine. “Low blocks complicate things for every team, not just Real Madrid,” Arbeloa explained. “Any low block, with ten players in a small space, makes it very difficult to attack. We have room for improvement in that area regardless of the characteristics of our players and the fact that they can excel when given space. We need to improve with a concept and a global idea that helps us attack better, be more organised, have greater fluidity in our play, and almost play with our eyes closed, which is what’s needed when attacking a low block. I’m very optimistic and hope to be able to help them improve.”

The victory was made more impressive by the absence of several key figures, most notably Kylian Mbappe, who missed out due to physical concerns. Arbeloa was asked to clarify the Frenchman's status. “He had to leave training yesterday, and on other days he has felt discomfort,” the coach revealed. “After yesterday’s training, I spoke with him, and we consulted with the medical team. We believed it was best for him to stop and recover 100%, so he can return in top form and confidence without discomfort for what’s ahead. He’s very important, and from now on, we’ll wait. Let’s see if it’s a matter of days, and hopefully, it won’t take too long, but we’ll take the necessary time for Mbappé to regain confidence and for the discomfort to disappear.”

When pushed on whether it was a minor issue or a more significant setback, Arbeloa remained cautious but optimistic. “I couldn’t tell you the difference between discomfort and an injury. When he stops, it’s because we believe it is necessary since he doesn’t feel comfortable or at ease. If he doesn’t play, it’s because I understand he’s injured. When discomfort prevents you from playing, if we want to call it an injury, we can call it an injury, but it seems to be, and I hope it is, not a serious injury, a minor issue, and he can return in a few days or weeks. We have a diagnosis, but I’m not the one to disclose such data about the players’ health. We are very clear about what was happening, what has happened, and what’s happening now. We want him to recover, be at 100%, and that’s why we decided he should stop.”

In the absence of Mbappe and other stars, Vinícius took centre stage, earning high praise from his manager. “I'm happy for the great goal he scored, because he deserves it and for the form he’s in,” Arbeloa said. “Without Mbappe, he is even more important, and I’m very happy for him because I think he truly deserves it.” The coach highlighted the grit of the squad, noting, “Without Mbappe, without [Jude] Bellingham, without [Eder] Militao, without Rodrygo. Without all these very important players, fundamental ones with great quality. That’s why today’s game is even more important, and qualifying in this tie against a great team that we managed to beat in both matches is even more significant. This strengthens the group a lot, showing that even with all these absences, we can compete and win matches like today’s.”