Spanish media react to Trent Alexander-Arnold display - 'Repeatedly outplayed'

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been criticized by the Spanish press following his display in Real Madrid's Champions League playoff second leg against Benfica on Wednesday

Spanish media have reacted to Trent Alexander-Arnold's display(Image: Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been heavily criticized by Spanish media following his performance against Benfica on Wednesday.

Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League round of 16 after securing a 3-1 aggregate victory, but the full-back remains under the spotlight. The former Liverpool player featured in the second leg of Real's playoff against Jose Mourinho's Benfica, with strikes from Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Junior securing a 2-1 home win.

Alvaro Arbeloa's men were made to come from behind after Benfica's Rafa Silva opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Spanish team will now meet either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon in the following round, with the Champions League draw taking place on Friday.

Yet the response to Alexander-Arnold's most recent appearance shows that every element of his performances will continue to be closely examined throughout his time at Real, regardless of the results.

Spanish outlet Sport awarded his display a five out of 10 rating. It provided a harsh critique of Alexander-Arnold, claiming that "his marking is nonexistent.'"

The 27-year-old defender was matched up against Andreas Schjelderup on Benfica's left side, with the publication suggesting the Real full-back struggled in his head-to-head battle. The assessment noted he was "repeatedly outplayed" by the winger.

Alexander-Arnold played 90 minutes against Benfica(Image: Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold was credited with creating one opportunity that ought to have produced a goal. Nevertheless, the assessment noted: "His ability to deliver good crosses and accurate passes doesn't compensate for his defensive fragility in demanding matches."

Alexander-Arnold garnered a more positive appraisal from AS. The ratings piece recognised that having the right-back in the team "changes the face of Real Madrid's attack, without a doubt".

He earned plaudits for his superb distribution and for whipping in multiple crosses into the penalty area. Similar to Sport, the publication acknowledged Alexander-Arnold merited an assist following his creation of an opportunity for Fede Valverde.

That said, AS also believed the full-back "covered well" at the back. Summarising his showing, the assessment concluded: "He continues to take steps forward."

Marca opted to concentrate on Alexander-Arnold's defensive contributions, rather than his forward play. He received praise for executing a "decisive interception" in the opening period.

Yet Marca partially held him accountable for Benfica's opener. The assessment stated: "He was largely inactive in the build-up to Rafa Silva's opening goal, who scored easily after a Courtois save."

Mundo Deportivo seemed underwhelmed by Alexander-Arnold's showing, though it refrained from heavily criticizing the right-back. His defensive efforts were characterised as "fine, nothing special."

Unlike other evaluations, the publication refrained from lauding his ability to create opportunities. Rather, the assessment of his offensive contributions was tersely described as "all crosses and more crosses."