The gray sofa, the change in structure on the field, the greater involvement of all his players, or the increased confidence that results give to make decisions, no matter how complicated they may seem. Álvaro Arbeloa faces a test of maturity tonight in Lisbon against Benfica under his mentor Mourinho. In the league, the team has responded with a full set of victories, more or less flashy, but enough to continue pressuring Barça, waiting for the moment to strike. The debacle in the Copa del Rey in the debut is irreparable, but avoiding the setback of missing out on the Champions League, is.
No one expects a Real Madrid like the one that was left on the canvas by Trubin just a few weeks ago. "The match will not be a copy. The coach has had the ability to adapt his team, bounce back from a defeat against Benfica, and secure three consecutive victories. The structure I saw against Valencia and against Real is different, I saw a different tactical mentality," stated Mourinho, full of praise for Arbeloa - "he understands what Real Madrid is, which is not easy" - and for the team he led over a decade ago. "I expect the Real Madrid that is the number one candidate to win the Champions League," he said, playing humble for a while.
This tactical structure goes through the midfield, where Tchouaméni, Camavinga, and Valverde are consolidating and strengthening the team. Even starting by acknowledging their own limitations after going through Arbeloa's gray sofa. "I have been there many times," joked Camavinga, who aims to be the guiding light in Real Madrid's build-up play. "I like to play as a number 6, although I lack consistency and need to be more focused on the field because I make mistakes at times. That's what I lack. But I am capable of playing that organizing role. I know that the Madridistas have not yet seen a complete Camavinga," he confessed.
The return of Trent to the full-back position frees up Valverde and allows the midfield to start functioning smoothly, providing a balance that brings solidity. "The three of them are doing really well, but when a team is solid, it's because everyone works," warned Arbeloa, who did not want to specify to what extent the team's progress relies on this new structure or on the mentality of his players, although the praise was directed at the squad.
"Since I arrived, I have seen willingness from the players. It's always easier to be a coach because it's easier to say what needs to be done than to step onto the field. What is happening is thanks to their work. With that mentality, demand, and work, the results are coming," he analyzed, while noting that Mourinho won't make it easy for them: "To win, you have to play very good football. 90 minutes of maximum concentration to complete a full match. Benfica's soul will be similar because their leader sets the tone: intensity and competitiveness. Even if they came out with the Youth League team, it would be the same."
Although Real Madrid is immersed in the fight for the league title, the Champions League is a cherished competition where they cannot afford to stumble. In fact, it's Mou's thorn, as he failed to win it in those "violent years", as he called them, that he experienced on the Santiago Bernabéu's bench. Arbeloa knows this. "It's not about revenge, our goal is to win the Champions League," he affirmed. Anything else would be a painful setback that might complicate his future as a coach at the end of the season.
In that scenario, the figure of the charismatic Portuguese emerges, content with his time at Real Madrid. "I gave Real Madrid everything I had. I did good things, bad things, but when a professional leaves a club with that feeling, there is a connection. I feel respect and, in general, I believe they like me. But with that, I don't want to fuel non-existent stories," clarified the Portuguese before casting doubts again. "The only thing that exists is that I have one more year at Benfica. Signed in a special situation, which is that we are in an election year and President Rui Costa and I have agreed to protect in case of a new presidency. That's why there is a clause for both parties to exit," he revealed. And he closed the door again: "You can tell Florentino no".
For now, his priority is to test the growth of Arbeloa's project in a tie that goes through the Estádio da Luz, but will have, this time, a second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu in a week.