Real Madrid’s Champions League Hopes Hang by a Thread After Arsenal Defeat
In a night that left Real Madrid fans reeling, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The Belgian shot-stopper candidly admitted, “I take responsibility” for Declan Rice‘s stunning opening free kick goal during Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League quarterfinal first leg defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday.
Rice, who had never scored from a direct free kick before, managed to find the back of the net twice in the second half at the Emirates Stadium. His unexpected prowess left Madrid’s defense scrambling, and before they could regroup, Mikel Merino added a late third goal, giving Arsenal a commanding lead in the tie.
Real Madrid, a team with a storied history of dramatic European comebacks, now faces an uphill battle. They will need to summon all their resilience and skill at the Santiago Bernabéu on April 16 if they hope to reach the semifinals.
Reflecting on the match, Courtois told Movistar, “I thought I’d positioned the wall well. I usually put an extra man in. I take responsibility for that, I could have put an extra man in, but I thought [Rice] wouldn’t get as much curl on it. And the second goal is a great goal.”
He added, “They were unnecessary fouls, when there was no danger. Perhaps we shouldn’t make those fouls.”
Real Madrid, who are currently second in LaLiga and have reached the Copa del Rey final, have frequently underwhelmed this season. Despite their record 15 European Cup wins, they now find themselves in a precarious position against an Arsenal side yet to triumph in the competition.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti, known for his calm demeanor, admitted his side now have a “small possibility” of progressing to the next round. In his post-match news conference, Ancelotti said, “We have to try. It’s an opportunity to play well, and let’s see if we’re capable of doing it … Today [Arsenal] showed a better attitude, better quality, they did a lot of things better than us.”
In Madrid’s 2022 Champions League run, Ancelotti’s team produced successive comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City to reach the final. Ancelotti remains hopeful, stating, “If you look at the game tonight, there’s no possibility. But football is change. No-one expected Rice to score those free kicks. We have to believe.”
Full-back Lucas Vázquez echoed this sentiment, saying, “If there’s one team in the world who can turn this around, it’s us, in our stadium, with our fans.”
However, Madrid’s recent form is concerning. They have now suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 2-1 at home to Valencia in LaLiga on Saturday, before Tuesday’s loss at the Emirates.
Midfielder Jude Bellingham expressed the team’s disappointment, telling TNT Sports, “We’re disappointed, more so in ourselves. We’ve got to look solely at ourselves. It’s similar themes that have happened to us all season when we’ve dropped points. We’re going to need something special to turn it around.”
Bellingham added, “We have to be honest, we have to be humble, take our medicine, and anything can happen in the return [leg] … History’s proven it, we’ve scored a lot of goals in games before. It’s not within the mentality of this club to give up and roll over.”
As Madrid prepares to travel to Alavés on Sunday, before hosting Arsenal in the return leg, fans and players alike will be hoping for a turnaround that only the magic of the Bernabéu can provide.
- Real Madrid’s European Cup wins: 15
- Arsenal’s European Cup wins: 0
- Next match: Real Madrid vs. Arsenal, April 16
Originally Written by: Alex Kirkland,Rodrigo Faez
