Real Madrid's comeback win over Roma finished 4-3, but it did nothing to settle the doubts hanging over Jose Mourinho's side. The match exposed the same defensive flaws, the same struggle to win the ball back, the same inability to impose control. Alvaro Benito saw it all and warned the former Real Madrid man that nothing will change against the big sides unless something changes first.
Analysing the game on "El Larguero" on "Cadena SER" radio, Benito argued that what unfolded in Rome is becoming a pattern. "It is a predictable death scenario," he said. "If things do not change, the same problems will happen again."
Roma circulated the ball well and played through the press, and once again Madrid had no answer. Benito fears those gaps will be punished far more severely by Europe's elite. "It is very difficult to take the ball off opponents who have a great ability to control it, and if you allow your opponents to reach your goal easily, some of them will punish you," he added.
Valverde and Tchouameni in the firing line
Selection calls and Mourinho's tactical tweaks were only part of Benito's complaint. His bigger issue is commitment to defensive work, particularly from the players in the advanced positions. Work without the ball, he insists, matters just as much as what you do with it.
"All professional footballers are capable of running without the ball. Your opponents in Spain and Europe do it too," he said, adding that players and coaching staff alike know exactly where the problems lie.
Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni came under specific scrutiny. For the double pivot to function, Benito argued, everyone ahead of them has to press and defend, which then frees up the players capable of developing possession and creating.
Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva can offer extra options in circulating the ball, he pointed out, but adding attacking players cannot come at the cost of defensive balance.
"If the players in the front line do not do their duties, it will not work against good teams, even with Valverde and Tchouameni there," he added. "And if there are two or three players not doing their defensive duties, that may affect you in 80% of La Liga matches, but in the Champions League the consequences will be far harsher."
Mourinho faces a new test
One man emerged from the Roma night with his reputation enhanced. Endrick made a clear mark on limited minutes, enough for Benito to demand he gets a bigger role going forward.
"He deserved to play," the former Real Madrid player said of the Brazilian striker. "He has great physical strength compared to the few minutes he was given. In 15 minutes, he put in an outstanding display and imposed himself strongly."
Praise alone was not the point. Benito wants Mourinho to reward Endrick with continuity, arguing that how a coach treats players after a strong performance is central to managing competition within a squad.
His verdict was blunt: "Mourinho has a moral duty to put Endrick in the line-up."