Real Madrid to play in Champions League play-offs

Madrid were defeated in Lisbon by Benfica. Real Madrid finished ninth and will have to face a play-off to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, against Benfica or Bodø/Glimt. From the start, the home side set a very high tempo. After seven minutes, Tomás Araújo had a chance to score after a series of rebounded shots from a corner, but the ball missed the target. On the quarter-hour mark, the referee, Davide Massa, controversially awarded a penalty for a ball that Bellingham had cleanly robbed from Prestianni inside the box. After being alerted by the VAR referee and reviewing the play on the monitor, he had to reverse his initial decision.

Mbappé strikes
The minutes ticked by and midway through the first half Courtois produced a spectacular save to keep out Prestianni's shot from the edge of the area. From that point on, Arbeloa's men dominated the game and threatened in the 26th minute with a powerful shot from Arda Güler from the edge of the area, which narrowly missed the target. It was the prelude to the first goal of the game, which came on the half-hour mark. Asencio's cross to the far post was met by Mbappé, who headed the ball into the net.

It was Real Madrid's best minutes of the game, and they might have extended their lead when Arda Güler swung in a corner in the 34th minute for Asencio to meet with a header, but Trubin made a fine save with both hands. And from potentially 0-2 it was 1-1 two minutes later when Schjelderup headed home from a swift counter-attack. The Norwegian player almost grabbed his second in the 40th minute, but Valverde prevented the goal on the goal line. It was 2-1 when Pavlidis converted Pavlidis' penalty for Tchouameni's grabbing of Otamendi.

Mbappé grabs second
The Whites had to come from behind after the break and Vini Jr. very nearly equalised in the 47th minute with a header that flew just over. However, the script was different. The home side were defending in their own half, but a counter-attack saw Schjelderup make it 3-1. Things got even more complex, but in the 58th minute it was 3-2. Arda Güler cut inside the area and set up Mbappé to score with a tight right-footed shot from the outside of the box. It was the Frenchman's 13th goal in this Champions League.

The game was a nail-biting affair and our team was in full swing against a team with two lines of five players to overcome. They had a chance to equalise in the 77th minute with a shot from Rodrygo, who was offside, but Trubin cleared. And there was also a chance to make it 4-2 when Barreiro's shot in the six-yard box was saved by Courtois. In stoppage time, Asencio was sent off for a double yellow. And in the final moments, Real Madrid were reduced to nine men after Rodrygo picked up two yellow cards for protesting. In the last 16, from a free-kick, goalkeeper Trubin headed home to send the Portuguese side through, who could be our opponents in the play-off for the last 16. The other possible opponent in Friday's draw is Bodø/Glimt.