“‘We Deserve This’: Mbappé Admits Responsibility After Madrid Miss Top Eight”

Real Madrid, record 15-time European champions, fell to a 4-2 defeat against José Mourinho’s Benfica in Lisbon, finishing ninth in the league phase standings. The result means Madrid must now face either Benfica again or Bodo/Glimt in February play-offs, missing out on direct qualification to the last 16.

After three consecutive wins under new coach Álvaro Arbeloa, the loss was a setback. Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice, admitted the team’s inconsistency is a major concern. “A champion team cannot play well one day and poorly the next. We deserve this situation because Benfica were better,” he said.

Mbappé added that the defeat was due to a mix of factors rather than a single issue, stressing that in the Champions League every detail matters. He urged fans to support the team at the Santiago Bernabéu against Rayo Vallecano, saying: “We had a bad game, but we’re still in the Champions League and doing well in La Liga. If the Bernabéu is with us, we’ll win on Sunday.”