At this moment, there is no point beating around the bush regarding Real Madrid’s performance against Benfica in the last group stage match of the Champions League's league phase. Long story short, they were awful and delivered one of, if not the worst, performances of the season.
Despite Real taking the lead in the 30th minute courtesy of a goal from Kylian Mbappe, they were 2-1 down soon after half-time due to some poor defending. The final whistle blew at 4-2, with Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin surprisingly scoring a 90+8th-minute header.
Real slipped down to ninth from third position and will now have to compete in the playoffs in order to qualify for the round of 16. Madrid fans are furious, and rightly so, after this recent loss, which comes at a time when things were just starting to look like they were turning for the better.
Former Real manager Jose Mourinho, who is currently managing Benfica, which beat Los Blancos, has provided some much-needed optimism for his former club and its fans despite the recent disappointment.
The Portuguese tactician told reporters after the game: “Real Madrid can still win the Champions League.” This certainly means a lot to Real fans, coming from the ‘Special One’, who holds a special place at the Estadio Bernabeu.
Mourinho's positive Madrid stance
Real are currently midway through a disappointing season. They have already lost the Supercopa de Espana final to Barcelona and crashed out of the Copa del Rey. Xabi Alonso, who was brought in during the summer from Bayer Leverkusen, has also been dismissed, and Alvaro Arbeloa has been put in charge of the team.
However, with all these changes taking place, there have not been any noticeable improvements, especially against big teams. As a result it is fair to say that the current state of the club suggests a downward spiral, and the board appears to be out of sorts.
So, is a comeback possible for Real this season? Definitely, but only if the Los Blancos players step up. Additionally, Arbeloa will also have to make some tough decisions moving forward in terms of who gets to play.
Real are no doubt going through a tough period. That is exactly why there is no better time for them to dust themselves off and prove to the world why they are the greatest club.