The 8th round of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League general stage was a heavy blow for Real Madrid. After Real Madrid's 2-4 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon, the two final eliminations became one of the most discussed topics. After the match, team head coach Alvaro Arbeloa answered journalists' questions about this particular situation.
As a reminder, Real Madrid defender Raul Asensio received his second yellow card and was sent off in the 90+2nd minute. Shortly after, approximately five minutes later, Brazilian forward Rodrigo was also sent off with a second yellow card. That is, in the decisive moments of the match, the Madrid team was left without two players, and the situation became even more complicated.
Arbeloa reacted to these episodes, first not hiding the emotion:
"Dismissals at the end of the game? I am very upset. "The issue here is not something else, but the loss of control over emotions," he said.
As can be seen from the coach's words, he avoided linking the situation to the referee. On the contrary, taking into account the team's performance and the overall picture, he did not want to turn the argument into an excuse:
"Considering how the team played, I won't talk about refereeing. I will take full responsibility for the result," AS quoted Arbeloa as saying.
The impact of this defeat on the tournament table was also significant. With a two-goal victory, the Lisbon side advanced to the playoff qualifiers. Real Madrid dropped out of the top 8 due to this setback and failed to qualify directly for the Round of 16.
In short, for the Madrid team, this evening is both a result and a moral lesson. Arbeloa's statement that "the responsibility lies with me" is not just an interview for fans, but also a signal to rebuild the team. Now Real Madrid's task is simple: to control emotions and avoid repeating mistakes on the way to the playoffs.
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