Real Madrid have made it to the round of 16 of the Champions League after successfully dispatching Benfica in the second leg of the play-off tie.
The Los Blancos were ahead in the tie due to their 1-0 victory in the first leg. But Rafa Silva scored early in the game to bring the tie back to 1-1.
However, Aurelien Tchouameni equalised in the game for Madrid and got them the lead on aggregate once again.
Vinicius Junior finished the tie in the 80th minute to send the Los Blancos into the Champions League round of 16, where they will face either Sporting CP or Manchester City.
Now, there was one notable absentee for the Los Blancos in this game. Kylian Mbappe did not feature for Real Madrid in this game.
After the match, Alvaro Arbeloa spoke about Mbappe’s absence. The Los Blancos manager said:
“He [Mbappe] had to leave training yesterday, and on other days he has felt discomfort. After yesterday’s training, I spoke with him, and we consulted with the medical team.
“We believed it was best for him to stop and recover 100%, so he can return in top form and confidence without discomfort for what’s ahead.
“He’s very important, and from now on, we’ll wait. Let’s see if it’s a matter of days, and hopefully, it won’t take too long, but we’ll take the necessary time for Mbappé to regain confidence and for the discomfort to disappear.”
Arbeloa also stressed the importance of having a fit Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid. He said:
“I couldn’t tell you the difference between discomfort and an injury. When he stops, it’s because we believe it’s necessary since he doesn’t feel comfortable or at ease.
“If he doesn’t play, it’s because I understand he’s injured. When discomfort prevents you from playing, if we want to call it an injury, we can call it an injury, but it seems to be, and I hope it is, not a serious injury, a minor issue, and he can return in a few days or weeks.
“We have a diagnosis, but I’m not the one to disclose such data about the players’ health. We are very clear about what was happening, what has happened, and what’s happening now.
“We want him to recover, be at 100%, and that’s why we decided he should stop.”
Real Madrid will hope that Mbappe regains his fitness as soon as possible, as they have important fixtures ahead as the season approaches its climax.
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