80% Failure in Lisbon: Benfica's Night Threatens Mastantuno's Future

Mastantuno's costly night in Lisbon

In Lisbon, AS spotlighted the severe consequences of Franco Mastantuno's catastrophic display against Benfica, noting the young Argentine left the pitch without the momentum he had built in recent weeks.

According to the paper, Da Luz proved a 'cold shock' for Mastantuno, who started but failed to leave any attacking imprint, finishing the match with zero shots on target, zero chances created, and dribbling success below 20%, before being substituted in the 55th minute.

The piece added that Mastantuno had regained his sparkle recently after shining against Levante and Villarreal, making the Benfica encounter a supposed 'night of truth' that turned into a collapse raising questions about his consistency.

The report linked the poor display to memories of groin issues that had sidelined him before, but stressed that the player now 'has no excuses.'

It concluded that his starting place is under threat as Rodrigo and Ibrahim Diaz press, with head coach Alvaro Arbeloa still trusting him, but the margin for error has shrunk, and staying in the XI will depend on relentless consistency.

What comes next for Real Madrid's forward

It is clear that Mastantuno's position in the squad is under heavy scrutiny as elite rivals push to usurp him, and the coach's optimism will face a stiff test in upcoming fixtures.

AS underscored that the path back to form requires tangible impact, not just hope, and that Mastantuno must reconnect with teammates, finish chances, and reclaim the momentum he flashed earlier in the season.

Punchline 1: If football had a GPS, Mastantuno's would say recalculating... and then take you to the nearest goalpost that isn’t his.

Punchline 2: If finishing were a market, his would be on clearance sale—buy one, miss one, repeat.