Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has called for focus, precision and a full 90-minute performance as his side look to settle a score with Benfica in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-offs on Tuesday.
Fresh from an impressive 4-1 victory in La Liga over Real Sociedad, who were unbeaten in 11 games, Real arrive in Lisbon on the back of a three-match winning run under Arbeloa. The Spaniard had only been in charge for two weeks when Madrid were beaten 4-2 by Benfica in last month’s league stage.
That defeat proved costly. With Benfica leading 3–2 but on their way out, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin ventured forward for a free-kick and headed home a goal in the 98th minute, sending Jose Mourinho’s side into the play-off round on goal difference, with the result denying Real automatic passage to the last 16.
Arbeloa has no illusions about the task ahead.
«To win we will have to play very well, and to do that we will have to do a lot of things well. We will have to defend well and attack well. We will have to stay focused on set pieces. And we will have to play a very complete match for 90 minutes,» he told a press conference on Monday.
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The former Real defender thanked his players for their quick return to form since replacing Xabi Alonso.
«Since I arrived I have seen a very positive attitude from all the players, and that has been crucial. In football it is much easier to be a manager than a player because it is easier to say what needs to be done than to do it,» he said.
«A lot of the credit has to go to the players. To their commitment and hard work. The good results are down to the players we have, who prepare for every match as if it were a final. And with that mentality, that high standard, good results come. But we are confident that we can go even further,» he added.
Arbeloa also expects a familiar advantage from a Benfica side led by his former mentor and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho.
«One thing is clear: their spirit will be very similar to that of three weeks ago. They have a leader (in Mourinho) who sets the tone, the way they play and compete,» Arbeloa said.
“From there there are little nuances. But they will be very competitive and tough. And we have to be prepared,” Arbeloa said. «For us it’s a new match, we don’t think about anything else. It’s a new match… and we want to perform well. There is no other goal than to win,» he added.
Published on February 17, 2026
