The Bernabéu, the stadium for big occasions, including Busiana, did not disappoint on a day that was even more difficult than the last. The three goals from the first leg were too much to overcome, especially for this complicated Real Madrid side. Complicated because the first leg was a festival of incompetence, just like the rest of the season. But even so, that’s what being a Madrid fan is all about: believing even when the odds, the math, and common sense suggest otherwise. The atmosphere was deafening, but once the game started, it was like sugar in coffee.
Real Madrid came out with everything
Madrid’s initial momentum matched what the fans had been calling for in the build-up. High pressure, organized, something never seen this year. Vini was dangerous down the wing, although he lacked the finishing touch that has been letting him down so much this year. Mbappé was also active and quick. There were reasons to believe… but, as I said before, it was all a mirage that lasted a few minutes.
Arsenal had the first chance with a good shot from Saka that was saved, as expected, by Courtois. Earlier, in the fourth minute, Alaba had already been shown a yellow card by a referee who was the protagonist of the first half. In the 11th minute, he awarded a penalty to Arsenal after consulting with the VAR. The Bernabéu fell silent. But Courtois came up with one of those saves that you remember if you end up coming back. Saka took a poor penalty, attempting a Panenka that went to one side and was easily saved by the Belgian.
And in the 23rd minute, also out of nowhere, from a set piece, the heavens opened for Real Madrid for a few seconds. He awarded a penalty for Rice’s foul on Mbappé. But after several minutes of waiting, consulting the VAR, he ended up overturning the penalty. And from then on, Madrid sank into the nothingness of the entire season. Mbappé tried with a deflected shot in the 31st minute, but little else. Madrid became more and more disconnected as the minutes passed, with attempts by Vini and several corner kicks, but with the same result. Real Madrid did not have a single shot on goal in the entire first half.
Madrid cannot beat Arsenal
The second half was a carbon copy of the last minutes of the first half. Arsenal were comfortable and Madrid were unable to get the ball out of their own half. They missed Ceballos, who was still warming up. Even so, in the 53rd minute, Bellingham found himself with the ball inside the area and came close to connecting. But it wasn’t Madrid’s day. Nothing was working. Until Ancelotti did what everyone saw coming: he brought on Ceballos. Endrick and Fran García also came on. Alaba, Lucas Vázquez, and Rodrygo came off. It was the 60th minute. It all seemed almost impossible.
But no, there were to be no miracles this time. Arsenal sealed the tie in the 66th minute with a goal from Saka, who was set up by Odegaard. It was 0-1 and the feeling was awful. The Bernabéu fell silent. It looked like the end. But Vini appeared, one minute later, out of nowhere, to rescue that 1% of hope that could perhaps give Madrid 30 minutes of madness. The goal came after a glaring error by the Arsenal defense. It still seemed very complicated. But like that scene in Dr. Strange with Iron Man in The Avengers, there may have been only one chance. And this was it.
But this Real Madrid just can’t do it. The footballing argument is so poor that there was no way they could even scratch Arsenal. And the fire of the comeback faded. The minutes ticked by and the Bernabéu felt almost nothing. The Arsenal fans celebrated and, in the meantime, Mbappé had to leave the field injured. Brahim came on in his place, but little or nothing changed. The game didn’t change and, to make matters worse, Martinelli killed Madrid in injury time: 1-2. Madrid’s season in the Champions League was over and Arsenal advanced to the semifinals in a comeback attempt that wasn’t even an attempt.