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Real Madrid suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Declan Rice's freekick brace and Mikel Merino's scintillating left-footed strike constructed a flawless 3-0 scoreline in favour of the Gunners. The Los Blancos will once again have to count on a miracle to overturn the tie at Santiago Bernabeu next week.
Arsenal Vanquish Real Madrid
After getting thumped by Valencia at the weekend in La Liga, Real Madrid's season took a further hit on Tuesday. Carlo Ancelotti's side looked out of sorts from the initial phase of the game. The defending champions could not formulate a clear-cut chance the entire game, and Arsenal, on the other hand, buried their opportunities, courtesy of an individual brilliance from Declan Rice.
The midfielder who is not the first-choice taker of the set piece, converted not one but two back-to-back chances on the day. He scored a spectacular goal from the free kick in the 58th minute and left Thibaut Courtois bamboozled again in the 70th minute. Following that, Mikel Merino showcased a clinical display in the 75th minute to put his team 3-0 up.
The scoreline remained unruffled till the full-time whistle. Thus, Arsenal have proceeded toward the semi-final of the competition, and it will not be an understatement to assert that they have one foot inside the room for the last four. As for Madrid, they will have to count on a miracle comeback once again.
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Kylian Mbappe Remains Optimistic
The Los Blancos have made some dramatic "Ramontadas" in the last couple of years in the UCL, but can they do it again, considering how they have fared since the culmination of the international break, one may doubt that.
However, the club's premier goal scorer, Kylian Mbappe, is hopeful about it. Following a frustrating day at the office, Mbappe took to Instagram to share a 7-word message. He disseminated the statement in Spanish, which translates to "You have to believe until the end".
Overcoming the trail of 3-0 will be a daunting task, but Real Madrid can always fancy their chances at the Santiago Bernabeu. For Madrid to pull off another remarkable comeback, Kylian Mbappe will have to step up. Mbappe was a goal threat on a couple of occasions in leg one but hardly had a influence in the second half when Arsenal dominated the proceedings and eventually won the game 3-0.
