Coach Alvaro Arbeloa: 'Real Madrid builds their playstyle around Vinicius Jr'

Real Madrid overturned the score to beat Benfica 2-1 and secure a spot in the Champions League round of 16, with coach Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledging the team faced heavy pressure and confirming plans to focus their play around Vinicius Jr.

Early this morning at Santiago Bernabéu stadium, Real Madrid defeated Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League play-off second leg, thereby earning a place in the round of 16 with a 3-1 aggregate score. After the match, coach Alvaro Arbeloa openly admitted that his team had to “push their limits” to overcome the intense pressure from the Portuguese side.

Real Madrid started off poorly when Rafa Silva unexpectedly scored for Benfica. However, the resilience of the Bernabéu hosts showed at the right moment. Aurélien Tchouaméni equalized before Vinicius Junior sealed the victory with a composed finish in the 80th minute.

Speaking after the game, Arbeloa emphasized: “In the Champions League, no match is easy over the full 90 minutes. Enduring pressure is normal. They pressed very well and made it difficult for us.”

The Spanish coach also pointed out tactical issues: “There were spaces behind the midfield that we didn’t know how to exploit. Once we adjusted that, especially in the first half, the team’s performance began to improve.”

Besides the technical analysis, Arbeloa gave special praise to Vinicius Jr, who scored the decisive goal and continuously troubled Benfica’s defense: “We will build our game plan around Vinicius. When Mbappe was here, we needed him. Now that Kylian is gone, we need Vini even more. He is the team’s leader.”

Despite Vinicius’s outstanding performance, Arbeloa believes the Man of the Match award rightly belongs to Tchouaméni.

Aside from the joy of victory, Real Madrid also faced a worrying moment when Raul Asencio had to be stretchered off after a heavy collision with Eduardo Camavinga. Arbeloa reassured: “When we saw Asencio leave the field, we were really scared. But it doesn’t seem too serious, just an issue with his neck area. Hopefully, it’s only a minor injury.”

This hard-fought but courageous win over Benfica allows Real Madrid to advance to the round of 16 with confidence, while also serving as a reminder that tougher challenges lie ahead in the Champions League.