"It's about having more desire than your opponent. You could see that everything was on the line for Benfica, and you couldn't see that for us, and that's a problem. Before the game, both teams had something to play for: us being in the top eight, and Benfica being among the 24. We saw it from Benfica, but you didn't see it from us."
"It wasn't the same [at Benfica] as against Villarreal, and that's a problem. We aren't being consistent in our play. We have to solve that. We can't do it one day, and then not another. A team of champions doesn't do that. We have two more games, and that hurts a bit. We wanted to have time in February to work on our play, and instead we'll play the playoffs."
Real Madrid lost 4-2 at Benfica, dropping to ninth in their Champions League group and forcing a playoff to reach the knockout stage. Kylian Mbappé scored twice at the Estadio da Luz, bringing his tally to 13 Champions League goals this season, but could not prevent the defeat. Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Turbin scored a 98th-minute header to secure the win and send Benfica into the playoffs. Real Madrid have suffered managerial turbulence this season with Xabi Alonso dismissed and Álvaro Arbeloa taking charge. Inconsistency has plagued the side, with three group-stage losses including matches against Liverpool and Manchester City.
Read at ESPN.com
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