Real Madrid player Federico Valverde appeared in a press statement following the 4-2 loss against Benfica in the final round of the Champions League group stage, at the Estádio da Luz.

The player said, "Benfica is a great team with excellent players, and we knew the match would be tough. They weren't on a good run of results, which is why we thought it would be an important match for them, just as it is for us."

He added: "We played well until we scored our first goal, and then we relaxed a bit. They played excellently, defended well, and posed a significant threat to us when attacking, which negatively impacted us."

He concluded: "We must criticize ourselves and are responsible for what we did on the field. We should not blame anyone else. In the end, it is us, the players, who must play the match and show our level on the field, and today we did not do what we had to do, and we must continue to improve."