LISBON, PORTUGAL - JANUARY 28: Alvaro Arbeloa head coach of Real Madrid CF looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid C.F. at on January 28, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Valter Gouveia/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesMatt WiltseSat, January 31, 2026 at 1:34 AM UTC·1 min readReal Madrid’s failure to finish in the Champions League Top-8 carries a double cost: no direct passage to the Round of 16 and no clear schedule over the next five weeks.
A Top-8 finish would have spared Madrid the playoff round — they now face Benfica again — and given Álvaro Arbeloa something equally valuable: time. It would have meant five straight weeks with just one match per week, a mini-preseason window to work at Valdebebas after taking charge during a hectic spell of five games in his first 16 days.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementInstead, the calendar tightens quickly. Madrid have a brief two-week gap while Copa del Rey quarterfinals and semifinals are played — competitions they are already out of. They then play three straight league matches: Rayo Vallecano (Feb 1), Valencia (Feb 8), and Real Sociedad (Feb 14-15).
After that come Osasuna and Getafe, split by the two playoff legs against Benfica, followed by Celta. If Madrid advance, the Round of 16 ties will be squeezed in alongside league fixtures against Elche and Atlético before the next international break.
There’s another drawback: losing potential home advantage. Had Madrid finished in the Top-4, they would have played the second legs of both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals at the Bernabeu. Now, if they progress past the playoff, those knockouts would be decided away from home.
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