Real Madrid's ace admitted to the complete defeat against Arsenal.
Real Madrid suffered a shocking 0-3 loss on the 8th (Korean time) in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League at Emirates Stadium, allowing Declan Rice to score multiple goals.
On this day, Real's front line featured Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé, with Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modrić, Rodrygo, and the back four consisting of David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asensio, and Federico Valverde. The starting goalkeeper was Thibaut Courtois.
Arsenal countered with a 4-3-3 formation. Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, and Bukayo Saka were placed at the forefront. In midfield, Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, and Martin Ødegaard took the field. The back four was constructed by Miles Lewis-Skelly, Jakub Kiwior, William Saliba, and Wijkien Timber. The starting goalkeeper was David Raya.
The first half was somewhat dull. Both teams targeted the opponent's empty space but couldn’t finish easily. In the 8th minute, after a dribble breakthrough by Vinícius, the offensive continued, but nothing threatening materialized. The first half ended at 0-0.
Immediately at the start of the second half, Arsenal broke Real down. Arsenal's consistent preparation shone through as masters of set pieces. In the 14th minute, in a free-kick situation, Rice took the kick and aimed directly at the goal, which found the back of the net. Courtois could not respond in time as Arsenal took a 1-0 lead.
Following this goal, Arsenal continued its relentless attack. In the 21st minute, Martinelli's attempt inside the box was cleared by Courtois, which Merino then connected with another shot. Once again, Real's defense intervened with a last-ditch effort, and in the ensuing corner kick, Bellingham barely managed to block.
However, despite such efforts, in the 26th minute, Rice's fantastic free kick struck again. In a free-kick situation earned right in front of the box, Rice took the kick and aimed directly at the goal. The perfectly curled ball went straight to the corner of the net, putting Arsenal ahead 2-0.
Furthermore, in the 30th minute, Arsenal netted a third goal. It was particularly evident that the determination of Real's players had vanished. Leandro Trossard passed the ball to Lewis-Skelly, who consolidated it to the center. Merino then shook the net with a left-footed shot, extending the lead to 3-0.
Real collapsed dramatically. A dismissal even occurred during stoppage time. Camavinga, in a situation where there was no reason to waste time, unnecessarily delayed and received a yellow card. Previously having a yellow, he was sent off due to accumulated warnings, making him ineligible for the next match. The game concluded with Arsenal's complete victory.
Bellingham noted in a post-match interview, "We were just an unprepared team. Arsenal did really well. Honestly, two of their goals were from free kicks, but they could have scored even more."
With the second leg set to take place at home at Bernabéu, Bellingham stated, "There is a second leg left, so we are betting a lot on that possibility. Something really special is needed. Something truly crazy has to happen." He added, "Still, since it's our home, I want to have expectations. Anything could happen in 90 minutes."
On this day, Real allowed 11 shots on target. Bellingham emphasized, "All of the opponent's goals came from individual excellence. We should have performed better in defense than in attack. However, we could not create chances. It’s not over yet, so we need to regroup, refine, and get back to it."
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