Vinicius and Bellingham's Endless Credit Running Dry as Madrid Implode at Da Luz
Real Madrid's star duo failed to deliver in Lisbon as Mourinho's Benfica ran riot, leaving Los Blancos facing Champions League playoff pressure.
Madrid’s star duo go missing when it matters most as Benfica expose worrying trend
The shipwreck at Da Luz left some uncomfortable names in the spotlight. While Real Madrid collectively crumbled, two figures bore the brunt of Madridismo’s frustration: Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. This wasn’t just a one-off mare – it’s becoming a proper pattern this season.
Stars that don’t shine when it gets dark
When the going gets tough and the badge weighs heavy, neither the Englishman nor the Brazilian seem capable of grabbing the wheel. The contrast with other Madrid heavyweights was stark in Lisbon:
- Mbappé, true to his full-time superhero role, pulled two moments of magic from his hat
- Courtois performed his usual repertoire of miracles to prevent the scoreline becoming even more embarrassing
Meanwhile, Vini was practically a ghost on that left flank. He barely linked with Mbappé, attempted just two dribbles (completing one), and offered next to nothing in attack. The real shocker came when the match demanded some proper graft and defensive commitment.
His defensive contributions were about as substantial as my aunt’s Christmas gravy – practically non-existent. Poor Carreras was left completely exposed while Benfica turned that flank into a toll-free motorway for Mourinho’s men. Not exactly the performance to win back the Bernabéu faithful while his contract renewal remains up in the air.
The disappearing act of Bellingham
Bellingham spent the evening in Lisbon chasing shadows – and that’s not just a figure of speech. The lad showed no creativity, no physical presence, none of that boundless energy that made him an instant darling when he first arrived in Madrid.
The boy who once had the Bernabéu purring with his endless running now looks lost in a role that doesn’t suit him. This despite coming into the match with Arbeloa singing his praises, claiming he’d had to tell Jude to “stop running” in training. He won just 6 of 13 duels and when the game was screaming out for some midfield quality, he somehow avoided substitution.
The untouchable hierarchy
Ancelotti’s changes were predictable and routine. The real injustice was suffered by Arda Güler, who was Madrid’s most exciting player yet got hooked just as he was about to take a corner. His face of disbelief said it all as he trudged around the pitch, seemingly muttering Balotelli’s famous phrase but in the affirmative: “Always me.”
The humiliation was completed in the dying moments when Benfica’s keeper Trubin came up for a corner and scored to make it 4-2 – in the very same goal where Madrid wrote their most glorious Champions League comeback almost 12 years ago. Football’s cruel ironies, eh?
Madrid, so used to smiling in this competition, finished with faces like a bag of spanners, sitting ninth in the table and heading toward a playoff that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.