Player Ratings: Benfica 4–2 Real Madrid — Courtois Left on an Island as Madrid Collapse
Real Madrid’s trip to Lisbon ended in a 4–2 defeat that felt even more lopsided than the scoreline suggests. Benfica repeatedly found ways to isolate Madrid’s defenders in transition, exploit the high line, and punish a team that simply never looked stable without the ball.
Here are the ratings:
Starting XI
Thibaut Courtois — 7
Courtois made seven saves and spent most of the match stranded on an island, abandoned by a defense that offered little protection in front of him.
Fede Valverde — 7
One of the few players who looked like he understood what the match
required. Valverde read passing lanes well, escaped pressure, and provided some much-needed intensity and stability in a game that frequently turned into chaos.
Raul Asencio — 6.5
A tough assignment: holding a high line against Benfica’s speed and movement is a nightmare, and he had a lot to do. Asencio was generally solid and even produced a moment of real quality with a beautiful assist to Mbappé. Lost his head late on and picked up a second yellow, but overall he wasn’t the problem.
Dean Huijsen — 6.5
Mixed but encouraging. There were a couple of poor giveaways, yet for the most part Huijsen helped distribute cleanly on the left and stepped up at the right times. In a match where Madrid were constantly stretched, he held up relatively well.
Álvaro Carreras — 5.5
Benfica clearly targeted his side and it worked. Carreras was burnt over and over defensively, particularly by Prestianni and Dedic, and Madrid never found a consistent way to protect him. Not a complete disaster, but definitely a weak link Benfica exploited relentlessly.
Aurélien Tchouaméni — 5
A rough performance. Unreliable in distribution, inconsistent in tracking runners, and often looked like he was caught between roles — not quite a destroyer, not quite a controller. For a player who is supposed to provide structure, he was all over the place.
Arda Güler — 7.5
Arguably Real Madrid’s best player on the night. Güler was constantly looking for the right final pass and ended with six key passes, which tells the story: he was the one player consistently trying to solve Benfica’s defensive shape rather than forcing low-percentage actions. Intelligent, creative, and composed.
Jude Bellingham — 6
Bellingham contributed to Madrid’s second goal and worked hard defensively, but he struggled to truly impose himself in the final third. The match never quite tilted into the kind of rhythm where he could dominate.
Kylian Mbappé — 7
Mbappé scored both of Madrid’s goals and was basically the only attacker who consistently threatened Benfica’s back line. However, his sloppiness in deeper areas was an issue — some giveaways were genuinely dangerous and invited Benfica pressure.
Vinicius Jr. — 3
A disastrous performance. Lost possession repeatedly, killed attacks, and spent too much time complaining — sometimes instead of tracking back or pressing. Madrid needed maturity and urgency from him in a hostile environment; instead, they got turnovers and negative energy.
Substitutes
Rodrygo — 5.5
A bizarre performance. On one hand, he was very good in the sequence that helped create Madrid’s second goal and offered some creativity. On the other: two yellow cards.
Eduardo Camavinga — 6.5
A decent cameo. He distributed the ball well and later shifted to left-back, offering some stability and ball progression that Madrid were lacking. Not spectacular, but a useful presence in a game full of instability.
Brahim Díaz — 5
Couldn’t find space and didn’t help the team create it either. Had one shot attempt that was wayward, but overall didn’t change the match. Benfica’s defensive organization swallowed him up.
