Valverde, Bellingham react after Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid: ‘It was our fault’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s difficult night in Lisbon did not only end with a 2-4 defeat to Benfica, but also with some of the most honest post-match reactions the club has heard this season. 

The loss pushed Madrid out of the Champions League top eight and confirmed they will now have to go through the playoffs, adding further pressure to an already demanding calendar. 

While several players left the pitch visibly frustrated, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde stood out for their raw and self-critical assessments of what went wrong.

Bellingham’s frustration

Bellingham was clearly struggling to come to terms with the way the match unfolded. 

Speaking after the final whistle, the England international did not try to soften the blow and admitted that the performance raised serious concerns.

“Obviously, I feel awful about losing this way. The truth is that we didn’t expect to play this kind of game. 

“We have to watch it again, but the goals we conceded and the things that happened leave me without much to say. 

“I don’t know what to think, but it doesn’t look good,” he said, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Bellingham was certainly not happy with the overall performance. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Bellingham then turned his focus to the contrast between the two teams. From his point of view, Benfica showed a level of intensity and sharpness that Real Madrid simply could not match.

“They were certainly more intense, that’s one of the things that happened, they won all the 50-50 balls and the basic things we usually do well. 

“The truth is that in this game, we weren’t able to do that. We’ll have to continue to maintain a different mental approach in the next games,” he said.

Valverde explodes

Another voice that carried weight after the defeat was that of Federico Valverde. 

While the Uruguayan did not stop for a full interview as he left the stadium, his brief comments were enough to explain the mood inside the dressing room. 

Valverde made it clear that the responsibility lies squarely with the players and not with external factors.

“We have to be self-critical, responsible for what we did on the pitch. We shouldn’t blame anyone else.

“It’s the players who have to play, to step up on the pitch, and today we didn’t do what we had to do. We have to keep improving. It was our fault,” he said.