Real Madrid refocuses on La Liga after stunning loss to Benfica

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This article was published 29/01/2026 (248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MADRID (AP) — A day after a stunning loss to Benfica in the Champions League, Real Madrid returns its focus to La Liga knowing that it needs to improve.

Coaches and players were on the same page after the 4-2 defeat in Lisbon left the club in the first knockout stage of the Champions League, taking responsibility for a poor performance and a lack of attitude.

“The games start on minute zero and not on minute 45, so in the end the defeat is deserved,” said Kylian Mbappé, who scored both Madrid goals on Wednesday to take his Champions League-leading tally to 13. “I can’t say it’s not deserved because we didn’t play well to win this game. They did. Benfica at home is always difficult. It was our fault.”

Mbappé said it seemed the team didn’t take the game as seriously as it should have. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored Benfica’s fourth goal in the last minute, securing the Portuguese side the goal difference it needed to make it to the top 24. Madrid needed only a draw but defeat cost it a top-eight automatic position in the round of 16.

“Benfica were playing for their lives and we didn’t look like we were playing for ours,” Mbappé said. “That was the big problem of the game. At the start, both teams had things to play for, we were in the top eight and they were in the top 24. We saw how Benfica played but we didn’t see what was at stake.”

Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said he wasn’t able to convey to his players the importance of the game to Benfica.

“I told the players but I didn’t know how to transmit to them what I wanted them to do on the field,” Arbeloa said. “When things don’t work out, when the team is far from the level we gave, the responsibility is always and absolutely mine.”

Key matchups

Real Madrid hosts city rival Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Madrid has won five in a row in La Liga to cut its deficit to leader Barcelona to only one point. Rayo has lost three consecutive games across all tournaments and sits 16th in the standings, near the relegation zone.

Barcelona, which rallied to beat Copenhagen 4-1 on Wednesday and secure a top eight spot in the Champions League, visits mid-table Elche on Saturday.

Third-placed Atletico Madrid is at second-to-last Levante on the same day, and fourth-placed Villarreal visits ninth-placed Osasuna.

The Basque Country derby on Sunday has Real Sociedad — which has won three in a row in the league — visiting Athletic Bilbao.

Out of action

Barcelona remained without injured midfielders Pedri and Gavi for its match in Elche, while Madrid could see the return of Antonio Rüdiger and Trent Alexander-Arnold against Rayo. Villarreal will be without defender Juan Foyth after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in the previous round.

Off the field

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The Spanish league will begin offering 50 euros ($59) for each verified tip on places that are broadcasting games without proper permission.

Bars, restaurants, betting places and similar establishments need to subscribe to a specific package to be able to show the games. The league said such broadcasts have a letter on the corner of the screen to identify them, allowing fans to tell whether they are legal or not.

If people see that an establishment is showing an unauthorized broadcast, they can email La Liga with images to help it verify the infraction.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer