Real Madrid coach praises Vinicius for “deserved” goal to wrap up the victory
Alvaro Arbeloa is thrilled at Real Madrid’s response to going 1-0 down to Benfica in the second leg of their Champions League playoff tie on Wednesday.
Madrid went behind in the first half but immediately hit back with an emphatic finish from Aurelien Tchouameni. Despite Benfica pressure, Madrid held firm and then sealed the victory late on when Vinicius Junior ran through and made it 2-1.
“In the first leg, we had a fantastic first half, and today Benfica really put us under pressure and made things very difficult for us,” Arbeloa said. “We were fortunate to equalise early, and it was a shame that Guler’s goal was disallowed.
“We improved as the game went on. It’s true that every time we correct something that we see is causing us problems, we’re able to fix it in the second half, and that’s also good news.”
Arbeloa praised Vinicius who scored in both the home and away fixtures to give Madrid a 3-1 victory on aggregate.
“I’m happy for the great goal he scored, because he deserves it and because of the form he’s in,” said Arbeloa. “Without Mbappe, it’s even more important and I’m very happy for him because I think he deserves it a lot.”
Kylian Mbappe missed the game due to fitness problems. Arbeloa explained his absence: “He had to leave training yesterday, and he’s had some discomfort on other days.
“After yesterday’s training session, I spoke with him and the doctors, and we felt it was best for him to rest and recover fully so he can return in top form and with confidence, free of any discomfort, for everything that’s coming up.
“From now on, it’s very important to wait. We’ll see if it’s just a matter of days, and hopefully it won’t be too long.”
