Trent Alexander-Arnold under pressure from the Spanish press for his performance against Benfica on Wednesday. Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League round of 16 after winning 3-1 on aggregate, but the full-back remains under severe scrutiny.
The former Liverpool player started the second leg of Real Madrid’s play-off series against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, which ended 2-1 at home thanks to goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Junior. Alvaro Arbeloa’s side had to come back after Benfica’s Rafa Silva broke the deadlock at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The Spanish heavyweights will now face either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon in the following round, with the Champions League draw scheduled for Friday. However, the reaction to Alexander-Arnold’s last performance serves as a sharp reminder that every aspect of his game will be scrutinized throughout his time at Real, even when the club is winning.
The Spanish journal scored his performance five out of ten. Alexander-Arnold was slammed by Sport, who stated that “his marking is nonexistent”.
The 27-year-old defender was paired against Andreas Schjelderup on Benfica’s left wing, and according to the site, the Real full-back came out second best in their individual combat. The report said he was “repeatedly outplayed” by the winger.
Alexander-Arnold was credited with creating one chance that should have led to a goal. The study did say: “His ability to deliver good crosses and accurate passes doesn’t compensate for his defensive fragility in demanding matches.”
Alexander-Arnold received a more favourable review from AS. The ratings essay noted that having the right-back in the side “changes the face of Real Madrid’s attack, without a doubt”.
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