Álvaro Arbeloa has a dig at Benfica after Madrid win: There are no... | OneFootball

After the Real Madrid - Benfica (2-1), a match that eliminated the Eagles from the Champions League, and conversely allowed the Madrid team to advance to the 'round of 16', Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach of the Merengues, admitted that the Reds "put pressure" on the Spanish team.

"There are no easy games in this competition, and you always have to suffer. They pressured us, and we had difficulties getting out. We had to adjust a bit, but we managed to improve and played a good game," he began by saying.

Regarding Kylian Mbappé's apparent injury, which prevented his presence in this second leg, Arbeloa elaborated: "He was feeling some discomfort. We talked to the doctors and thought it would be better to stop. We hope it's a matter of days."

When asked about the even more decisive role of Vinícius Jr., given that the French forward was not an option, the Spanish coach said: "Vinícius Jr. deserves everything. He scored and celebrated. But without his teammate, he is even more important."

In conclusion, Arbeloa appeared indifferent regarding the 'round of 16' draw, although he already had a hunch about who his team would face: "We are already used to getting a Real Madrid - Manchester City. We are sure it will happen. For us, it makes no difference."

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