The defeat of Real Madrid by Arsenal has left many issues unresolved in the white team. One of the images that highlights the division in the white dressing room shows Camavinga and Bellingham in a conversation during the match with Ancelotti. The Englishman didn’t seem to understand, or didn’t seem to like what the Italian coach was saying to him. His ironic smile and his failure to understand what was being asked of him after the conversation show the tough times the team is going through.
Bellingham disagreed with Ancelotti
The first half was still going on, but Jude Bellingham was not at all happy with what he was seeing from his team, especially the fragility in midfield, where they were unable to stop Arsenal’s game, which was passing with astonishing ease.
Around the 30th minute, the English footballer, along with Camavinga, went to the bench to try to find solutions to what was happening on the pitch. From the very first moment of the conversation, the footballer could be seen to be annoyed by what he was hearing from Ancelotti’s mouth. The coach was saying one thing, and the footballer was saying another.
Bellingham shook his head, showing his annoyance at the instructions he was receiving from the sidelines from his coach. He ended the conversation by staring at Carlo, still shaking his head in disapproval. At no time is there any disrespect in the images, but there is discontent on the part of the footballer with the orders coming from off the pitch.
A Real Madrid outplayed in midfield
Real Madrid were leaking in midfield. The absence of Tchouameni was more than evident, Camavinga multiplied in midfield to cover for the loss of his compatriot, Luka Modric‘s midfield was overstretched, and Bellingham could not alone hold back the defensive lack of solidarity of the attacking players. Although Rodrygo was more involved in defensive duties, it was not enough.
We don’t know what the conversation between the two of them was on the sidelines, but from what we saw, it seemed that the coach was pointing out which areas of the pitch needed to be covered, while Bellingham seemed to be complaining about the lack of defensive activity from the attacking players.
In a Champions League quarter-final, a team like Real Madrid, or any other team, cannot afford to have players who ignore defensive duties. The consequences were seen yesterday. A disjointed team, which did not propose any game plan, and overwhelmed by an attack as well worked as Arsenal’s.
Another aspect that caught the attention was the help from the wingers: while Rodrygo was seen committed to helping Valverde to stop Martinelli’s forays down Real Madrid’s right, the help on the left wing to Alaba to stop Saka came from Bellingham and Camavinga, never from a Vinicius who, for many stretches of the game, seemed more like a spectator in a privileged position to watch the game than a footballer.
The changing room at Real Madrid is evidence of the fracture and nervousness inside as they watch the titles for the current season slip away little by little. It remains to be seen how Real Madrid approach the second leg and what their attitude will be, which is key to attempting another magical comeback at the Bernabéu that seems more distant and more impossible than ever. Real Madrid will have to show a side they haven’t yet shown this season, perhaps like on Dortmund day at the Bernabéu, when they went in at half-time 0-2 down and ended up winning 5-2.