The disaster isn’t over: Rodrygo and Asencio miss the first leg as Real Madrid go on alert

Double blow for Real Madrid in the Champions League. Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo Goes will be unavailable for the first leg of the intermediate playoff round after being sent off in the painful 4–2 defeat to Benfica at the Estádio da Luz.

The closing minutes in Lisbon were chaotic for the Spanish giants. Asencio, who had already been booked in first-half stoppage time, was shown a second yellow in the 92nd minute after stopping a Benfica counterattack, leaving Real Madrid down a man in the decisive stretch of the match.

Things worsened moments later. Rodrygo was sent off in the 96th minute after protesting a referee’s decision. Italian official Davide Massa showed the Brazilian forward two consecutive yellow cards for what he deemed inappropriate complaints, sealing a nightmare night for Los Blancos.

With these absences, Real Madrid will head into the first leg of the playoff round seriously undermanned. The match will be played again in Lisbon if the draw pairs them with Benfica, or in Norway if their opponent is Bodø/Glimt.

Adding to the concern, four players are one yellow card away from suspension and could miss the second leg: Dean Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Jude Bellingham.

A tense, high-pressure scenario for a Real Madrid side that, after the European setback, has no margin for error left in the Champions League.

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