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The softer, friendlier approach from new Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has paid dividends in getting Vinicius Junior back to his superstar status, but more quietly, center midfielder Federico Valverde is also back to his world-class best under the tutelage of the former Merengue right back. Xabi Alonso may have been the bigger name, but he feuded with the superstars in his locker room, many of whom had already won multiple Champions League titles, and few were honest about the former Bayer Leverkusen manager's own ego. Instead, Arbeloa has come in as a full Madridista with humility. He has walked in their shoes, and, like Zinedine Zidane, he relates to them and is a friend and confidant to them, managing the superstars and "egos" of the Madrid dressing room with the same grace. ...

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior is writing a new chapter in the history of the Champions League with every goal and assist, and his late goal in the 80th minute against Benfica to seal the tie on a 3-1 aggregate for the Royal Whites at home had to feel especially good. Benfica attacker Gianluca Prestianni was suspended for covering his mouth and racially abusing Vinicius Junior after his amazing goal to break the deadlock (and eventually decide the game) in the first leg. The Portuguese giants tried to appeal Prestianni's ban, but it did not get overturned. And while Benfica did score the first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu early on, Real Madrid retook the advantage in the tie 2-1 just minutes later via defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. But Vinicius's moment would ...

Per top French news outlet L'Equipe, French superstar Kylian Mbappe is a doubt for Real Madrid vs. Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs, and now Spanish newspaper MARCA is reporting that center midfielder Federico Valverde also isn't 100 percent for the clash. The stakes couldn't be higher for Real Madrid on Wednesday night in the Champions League. They barely survived Benfica in the first leg, with Vinicius Junior's moment of individual brilliance, overshadowed by Gianluca Prestianni's infamous face-covered (almost certainly racist) remarks to the Brazilian superstar, being the lone difference in avenging Madrid's putrid league phase loss to Jose Mourinho. Now, Real Madrid are behind the eight ball, because if Mbappe is out or not at his best, they will be miss...