“It’s not about revenge,” insists Arbeloa ahead of Benfica v Real Madrid | OneFootball

Álvaro Arbeloa revealed that there is “not just one key” to success for Real Madrid ahead of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie against Benfica on Tuesday.

The sides met just three weeks ago on the final day of the competition’s league phase, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin claiming a dramatic 4-2 win for the Portuguese side in the dying seconds of stoppage time.

That result saw Real Madrid drop out of the top eight and Benfica rise into the play-off places on goal difference – and now they meet once more, with a place in the round-of-16 at stake.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the first leg, Arbeloa explained that he expects to see “a Benfica side with more individual options and different players available.

“But ultimately, the spirit of Benfica will be very similar to what we saw three weeks ago.

“They will be very competitive and intense, and they will make things difficult for us. We need to prepare for the high level we will face,” he insisted.

As for whether Tuesday’s match presents Real Madrid with an opportunity to seek revenge against José Mourinho’s men, Arbeloa commented: “We always think about winning. Our objective is not simply to eliminate Benfica. Our objective is to win the Champions League, because that’s what this badge demands.

“For us it’s not about revenge but about progressing in the tie, and that’s why we have come here.

“It’s a new match and that’s the only thing we’re thinking about. Of course, the previous game has been analysed, but this is a completely new match and we want a great performance and a win, as we do whenever we play.

The 43-year-old added that “to win the match, we need to play very good football and to do that, we must do many things well in all phases of the game.

“We need 90 minutes of maximum concentration, understanding what is required in each moment, defending well, attacking well and staying focused on set pieces. There isn’t just one key for tomorrow.

“We need to produce a very complete performance over the full 90 minutes.”

Benfica v Real Madrid gets underway at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday 17 February.