Carlo Ancelotti accepted Real Madrid were deservedly beaten by Arsenal but insisted the tie isn’t over, declaring, “stranger things have happened at the Bernabéu.”
Carlo Ancelotti admitted that Real Madrid were outplayed by a superior Arsenal side at the Emirates but warned that “stranger things have happened at the Bernabéu” as his team look to overturn a 3–0 deficit in next week’s second leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
Reflecting on a night where Declan Rice scored two spectacular free-kicks and Mikel Merino added a third, the veteran manager was forthright in his assessment of Madrid’s performance. “It’s a tough loss. We weren’t expecting this. The team looked pretty good and well organised in the first half. Following the two set-piece goals, the team dropped off both mentally and physically,” said Ancelotti.
“It was a difficult end to the game because we didn’t see the reaction we’re used to seeing from this team. The final 30 minutes were very poor.”
Arsenal, driven by a charged Emirates atmosphere, overwhelmed Madrid in the second half with a level of intensity and organisation that the 15-time European champions could not match.
Asked about the team’s lack of response after going behind, Ancelotti was blunt. “It’s hard to explain. There was no collective reaction, we were trying to do things individually. They controlled the ball better and managed the result.”
Despite the heavy defeat, Ancelotti refused to write off his team’s chances of an improbable comeback.
“We have to do everything we can to try and recover. The chances are pretty slim but we have to try, and we’ll try and do it any way we can. Let’s see if we can pull it off. It feels as though there’s no chance after tonight, but things always change in football. Nobody expected Arsenal to score two free-kicks, but anything can happen. It’s very tough, but stranger things have happened at the Bernabéu.”
Asked about Arsenal’s performance, the Italian was honest. “They showed a better attitude, more quality and impressive fitness levels today. They did a lot of things better than us and we have to be honest with ourselves. We weren’t too bad for an hour, we played pretty well in the first half.”
“Without a doubt,” he said when asked if he felt accountable for the result.
Madrid’s tactical plan, which involved fielding a front four of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, left them exposed against an Arsenal side that pressed relentlessly.
“The best players have to play, not sit on the bench,” Ancelotti said. “Then it’s about organising things to make sure you’re a compact unit, and we weren’t able to do that tonight.”