Six Madrid Players Walking a Tightrope Ahead of Benfica Second Leg
Real Madrid head into their Champions League second leg with six players on yellow card warnings — and Vinicius Jr is the one everyone's watching.
Six Real Madrid players are one booking away from missing the first leg of the Champions League last 16 — and with the Benfica return at the Bernabéu coming up on Wednesday, Carlo Ancelotti’s (well, Arbeloa’s) side are navigating a proper minefield.
The Six Men in the Danger Zone
Here’s who’s sitting on a yellow and can’t afford another one:
- Vinicius Júnior
- Álvaro Carreras
- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- Dean Huijsen
- Rodrygo
- Jude Bellingham
Now, before you panic about all six — only Vinicius, Carreras and Tchouaméni are actually expected to feature on the night. Rodrygo is already suspended (serving a two-match ban from his red card in the league phase), Bellingham remains sidelined through injury, and Carreras is a doubt right up until kick-off with a muscular issue. So the real concern narrows down to Vini and Tchouaméni, essentially.
Any of the six picking up a caution on Wednesday would rule them out of the first leg of the round of 16 — whether that’s against Manchester City or Sporting CP.
Vinicius: All Eyes on Him Again
Vini is the one who’s going to be under the microscope here. The Brazilian picked up his booking in Lisbon after celebrating his goal — the only one of the tie so far — and it’s put him in a delicate spot.
What makes it more loaded is everything that went on in that first leg at the Estádio da Luz. The flashpoint involving Prestianni has since led to the Argentine being provisionally suspended by UEFA, which at least means Vini won’t have to deal with that particular needle on Wednesday. Small mercies.
Here’s the thing though — Vini had actually been pretty disciplined. That yellow in Lisbon was only his second of the Champions League campaign, his first coming at Anfield against Liverpool. He’d been keeping the head. But now he’s got another test of that composure, and in front of his own fans at the Bernabéu, where the atmosphere can get feisty.
He’s been finding his best form again lately, which is great news for Madrid. The job now is to channel that into the performance without letting the occasion — or any provocation — drag him into trouble.
One Bit of Good News for Arbeloa
On a more positive note, Raúl Asencio is back available. He’d missed the first leg after being sent off in the final matchday of the league phase — also against Benfica, as it happens — but he’s served his ban and comes back into the fold. That gives the defence a bit more depth going into what should be a comfortable night at the Bernabéu, Madrid holding that one-goal advantage.
Still, with half a dozen players treading on thin ice, Wednesday night is about more than just the result. It’s about getting through to the last 16 with your best players still eligible to play in it.