After Real Madrid v Real Sociedad, Arbeloa eyes Benfica: Hope the story... | OneFootball

Álvaro Arbeloa is now only thinking about the clash against José Mourinho. In the aftermath of Real Madrid’s thrashing of Gonçalo Guedes’ Real Sociedad, the Spanish coach addressed the upcoming match with Benfica and stressed that the defeat in Lisbon is still very much on the minds of the Spanish giants, who are looking to give a different response.

"The Lisbon match is still very present for us, the difficulty involved, the atmosphere. The aggressiveness, not only of Mourinho’s teams, but of the match itself," the Spanish coach began, referring to Benfica’s strengths, who may be able to count on a key player returning just days before the European encounter.

"I hope history doesn’t repeat itself. We are well aware of what awaits us on Tuesday. It’s a 180-minute knockout tie," Arbeloa said at the press conference after the match against the Basque side. "I think he’ll be fit. Mbappé has been dealing with these issues for some time. He’s making a huge effort every time he steps onto the pitch. We didn’t want to take any risks before Tuesday," he explained, when discussing the French international’s situation.

"Vinícius has been putting in top-level performances, making the difference. He’s a player who is more than just numbers. He’s a kid with a big heart. I’m lucky to have him," Arbeloa concluded, speaking about the winger’s current form, who stood out in the La Liga clash against Real Sociedad.

Having overcome Santa Clara, Benfica now begins preparations for the clash against Real Madrid, counting for the first leg of the Champions League playoff. Next Monday, February 16, José Mourinho and another player from the squad, starting at 2:00 pm, will preview Wednesday’s match, February 17, at 8:00 pm.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.