Arbeloa takes full blame as Real Madrid suffer costly Champions League setback: ‘Can’t give you a single reason’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s night in Lisbon ended in frustration and visible irritation as Alvaro Arbeloa faced the media following a damaging 2-4 defeat to Benfica. 

The result pushed Madrid out of the UEFA Champions League top eight and left more questions than answers about the team’s recent form. 

Arbeloa, clearly unhappy, cut a tense figure during his post-match press conference, offering shorter responses than usual but taking full responsibility for the setback.

The Madrid coach was first asked about his recent comments and whether he felt any regret after another disappointing result. 

“I don’t regret any of my statements. If the reasoning behind the defeat is that the teams up front didn’t run enough, I disagree,” he said.

One of the most talked-about moments of the match was Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring late on, a rare and dramatic sight in a Champions League game. 

Arbeloa was asked for his view on that decisive moment and calmly explained the context behind it.

“It’s not the first time a goalkeeper has scored against me. Obviously, they had to take a risk. 

“We were playing with two players less, and we also needed to score a goal to be in the top 8. They took a risk, we took a risk, and in the end they won.”

A frustrating defeat

The Benfica goalkeeper scored against Real Madrid. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Attention then turned to Madrid’s overall balance and the team’s performance over the last two weeks. 

Arbeloa did not shy away from accountability and again placed the blame squarely on himself.

“I am responsible for the defeat, just as I was in Albacete. I feel totally responsible when things don’t go well, and we don’t achieve our goal.

“It’s not that we’ve been eliminated from the Champions League. 

“We have two games ahead of us and we’re going to approach them with the aim of getting through to the next round.”

Questionable substitution

Questions were also raised about his substitutions, particularly the decision to bring on a young Jorge Cestero instead of an experienced Dani Ceballos. 

Arbeloa explained that it was a purely tactical call, driven by the risk of further red cards.

“It was a technical decision. We needed to make changes because we didn’t want a situation like the one with Raul [Asencio] to happen.

“They all had cards. Alvaro [Carreras] had a card, Dean [Huijsen] had a card, Raul had a card, and I wanted to protect the team.

“I knew that in a counterattack, they could outplay us, and we would have to foul to stop a counterattack.

“In the end, Raul was sent off, and that’s why we made the changes. Obviously, I have a lot of confidence in Jorge [Cestero] and for the game, he was a great fit. That’s it, there’s nothing more to it.”

What went wrong?

Real Madrid suffered a costly defeat. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

When asked whether Real Madrid lacked intensity on the night, Arbeloa was honest and admitted the performance fell short on several levels.

“We lacked a lot of things. It was a Champions League match, at Champions League level, against a team that we knew was playing for its life.

“I can’t give you a single reason. I think we also lacked a lot of footballing arguments to have taken the three points, won the game, and beaten Benfica today.”

Finally, Arbeloa was questioned about the red cards shown to Asencio and Rodrygo, moments that proved costly in such a high-level contest. His response was brief but telling.

“Frustration, for not being able to control your emotions sometimes. That’s how it is,” he concluded.

Source: MARCA