Warning, Benfica! Real Madrid in crisis ahead of the Champions League | OneFootball

Real Madrid prepares for the Champions League match with two headaches for Álvaro Arbeloa. According to UEFA, the Spanish giant will not be able to count on two players in the clash against Benfica, due to the expulsions that occurred in the eighth round match on January 28.

As it is known, Raúl Asensio, a starting defender for the Madrid team in the defeat against Benfica (4-2), was sent off for accumulating yellow cards and, therefore, will only miss Arbeloa's options in the first leg, in Lisbon.

However, Rodrygo's situation is more critical. The Brazilian international was sent off at 90+6' after losing his temper with the match referee, Italian Davide Massa. Following the way he addressed the match official, UEFA punished the Brazilian with a two-match suspension.

In the aftermath of the defeat in Lisbon, which secured Benfica's qualification, Rodrygo reacted to his behavior on the pitch at Estádio da Luz: "Yesterday [January 28], I got carried away by the moment when complaining about time-wasting. It's not my way of acting. I had never been sent off playing for Real Madrid and I am aware of the consequences".

Less than two weeks before the first match, the white team is under fire due to poor results, and is looking to turn the situation around before returning to Lisbon. On the Benfica side, the only doubt so far is whether José Mourinho will be able to count on Richard Ríos.

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