Álvaro Benito says Real Madrid’s recurring problems are clear

“It’s the chronicle of a death foretold.” After Real Madrid’s match in Rome ended 3-4, Álvaro Benito gave a sharply critical assessment of the team’s play on SER. The former player argued that the problems were not simply down to the choice of starters or the make-up of the squad.

In his view, the team struggles to win the ball back against opponents who are comfortable in possession. “The Madrid match comes as no surprise to anyone,” he said, warning that allowing rivals to approach too easily will eventually be punished. He believes the same problems keep resurfacing when nothing changes.

Benito also responded to Mourinho’s comments after the game in Rome. He called them “very interesting”, saying they explained the coach’s decisions: in Benito’s view, Mourinho knows that some players are not defensive specialists and therefore relies on Tchouaméni and Valverde in midfield. To control the game, he added, the team also needs players such as Bernardo or Güler. “He doesn’t choose his words without a purpose,” he concluded.

The former Madrid player stressed the team’s collective responsibility when out of possession. “All professional footballers can run without the ball,” he said, noting that competing teams in Spain and Europe do so. He acknowledged that Real Madrid could have a more technically gifted central midfielder, while also insisting that the club has, in his words, a very strong squad.

For Benito, intensity can change the team’s performance: pressing, showing commitment and bringing energy to challenges can produce results. But he believes that if two or three players fail to carry out their defensive duties, that may be enough in a large share of league matches, while proving far more costly in the Champions League. “Drastic decisions would have to be made, and I don’t know if they will be,” he warned.