Real Madrid scrape through to last 16 but the Bernabéu is losing faith fast

Real Madrid are through to the Champions League knockout rounds — again, as ever, right on cue — but the manner of this two-legged win over Benfica has left more questions than answers hanging over the Bernabéu.

Job done, but barely

Let’s be straight about it: getting out of this tie was the bare minimum. Madrid never miss the last 16, it’s practically written into the club’s DNA. But Benfica were genuinely the better side across long stretches of both legs, and on a European night at the Bernabéu, that is not something you want to be saying out loud.

The stadium told its own story — largely silent throughout, and with fans visibly heading for the exits five minutes before the final whistle. On a Champions League night. That’s not just a bad atmosphere, that’s a fanbase quietly disconnecting from what they’re watching.

The men who saved Madrid

Credit where it’s due, because without a couple of individuals this could have gone very differently:

• Tchouaméni was, again, the best player on the pitch. His equaliser — a composed, side-footed finish from the edge of the area, arriving at exactly the right moment just two minutes after Benfica took the lead — was the kind of goal you’d more readily associate with a Kroos than a defensive midfielder. He was the standout player in both legs. Remarkable.
• Courtois produced what can only be described as a save from another dimension in the 38th minute. Completely screened by bodies, he somehow read Richard Ríos’s shot and got a hand to it. Without that stop, Madrid are out. Simple as that.
• Vinicius eventually put the tie to bed with a goal that gave the scoreline a flattering look, all things considered.

The Mbappé problem isn’t going away

Kylian Mbappé has now been in and out of this squad for the best part of three months with a knee injury that Madrid’s medical staff simply cannot seem to resolve. It’s becoming a proper headache. If Sporting de Portugal or Manchester City await in the last 16 — and one of them will — Madrid cannot afford to walk in without their marquee signing anywhere near his best. The medical situation is, frankly, a mess.

Arbeloa’s puzzling calls

The substitutions raised a few eyebrows too. Mastantuono came on ahead of Brahim Díaz, which seemed an odd shout given the profile needed in that area of the pitch. Then Palacios and Thiago were thrown on with 13 minutes left. Whether Brahim was carrying something, nobody seemed to say.

Mourinho’s disappearing act

And then there was the Benfica manager, who had apparently been set up with a private box in the third tier to watch from — only to not show up there at all. Make of that what you will.

The bigger picture

The road gets properly difficult now. Sporting or City in the last 16 will demand a level of performance that was nowhere to be seen against Benfica. The worry isn’t just the squad depth or the injury list — it’s that the connection between this Madrid side and their own supporters seems to be fraying at the edges. Dreaming of a 16th European Cup feels like a stretch right now.