Real Madrid’s star player Kylian Mbappé said clearly after his team lost 4–2 to Benfica in a UEFA Champions League match in Lisbon, Portugal. This loss means Real Madrid will not go straight into the last 16 and must now play in the playoff round instead.
Mbappé, who scored both of Real Madrid’s goals in the game, said the team did not play consistently and did not show enough effort to win. He told reporters that a team must bring its best every time, and if it does not, the opponent will take the chance to win.
He also said Real Madrid “deserve to be in this situation” because they did not play well enough, and that Benfica played better that day. Mbappé said it hurt to have to play extra playoff games when the team needed more time to work on their game.
Real Madrid did not play well at the start, and Benfica scored first. Even though Mbappé scored his first goal, Benfica kept putting pressure on Madrid and scored again to take the lead before halftime. In the second half, Benfica scored one more goal at the very last minute by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. That last goal helped Benfica to go above the Real Madrid in their group.
Mbappé was honest about why the team lost. He said it was not just about how the team played in parts, but that the team did not stay focused and did not gave full potential in whole match. He explained that in big matches like the Champions League, every minor mistake can change the result, and Real Madrid did not bring enough efforts which they needed to win.
Even after the tough loss, Mbappé asked the fans to keep supporting the team. He said Real Madrid was still in the Champions League and still playing well in LaLiga, the Spanish league. He asked fans to come to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and support the players in their next match so the team can come back.
Real Madrid’s has seen many ups and downs. Before this game, they changed managers and had some disappointing results in other competitions. Mbappé said that when a team does not play with consistent energy and desire, it becomes hard to win tough matches.
Even though Mbappé scored two goals, it was not enough. Benfica played very well and their players scored important goals that helped them to control the game. This result put Real Madrid in ninth place in their Champions League group, so they have to play one more round against strong teams.
Fans and football experts talked about the match and said that Real Madrid needs to play more balanced and consistent if they want to win big matches this season. Some people think that the team must work better together and have a stronger mindset to avoid losing like this again.
After the game, Mbappé made said that losing like this is disappointing, but Real Madrid has chances to fix things in the upcoming matches. He reminded everyone that Real Madrid is still playing in other leagues, and the support of the fans can help the team.