Real Madrid were playing for far more than just a result, and yet the image they left behind in Lisbon perfectly summed up their night and one of their deepest problems. It wasn’t a decisive action in terms of qualification, but it became a powerful snapshot of apathy, disconnection, and confusion from a team fighting for direct passage to the Champions League round of 16.

With Real Madrid down to nine men, the margin for error was minimal. And yet, in one decisive action, the team completely lost its structure. Despite being numerically inferior, several players failed to retreat and defend with urgency. The result was as striking as it was revealing: eight Benfica players attacking against just five Real Madrid players positioned to defend inside Courtois’ area.

It was footballing Russian roulette — and it went wrong.

Vinícius and Mbappé were caught too high up the pitch. Brahim stood alone, forming a symbolic and ineffective wall more than 40 meters from goal. Others watched the ball travel into the box without reacting in time. Bellingham and Camavinga arrived late, already outnumbered, while only Cestero, Alaba, and Valverde showed real urgency in tracking back.

After the match, Valverde summed it up with brutal honesty: “We have to be self-critical and take responsibility for what we did on the pitch. We shouldn’t blame anyone else. We, the players, didn’t do what we had to do.”

That single image now stands as both a summary and a warning. It doesn’t fully explain why Real Madrid failed to finish in the top eight, but it clearly exposes a dangerous disconnect,  a team not fully aligned with the demands of the moment or the consequences at stake.

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