London, England – Arsenal showed their strength as they beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. The Gunners’ impressive performance has put them in a strong position to advance to the semis.
Declan Rice was the star of the show, netting two exquisite free-kicks, his first goals from set-pieces as an Arsenal player. Mikel Merino added a third goal late in the second half, sealing the dominant victory for the home side.
Real Madrid’s troubles deepened as midfielder Eduardo Camavinga received a second yellow card in stoppage time, meaning he will miss the return leg next week at Santiago Bernabeu. Coach Carlo Ancelotti had already expressed concerns about multiple players facing suspension ahead of the match.
After the game, Ancelotti commented, “In the first half we did well, we created on the counter, but we weren’t calm on the ball in the second half. We need to correct our mistakes before the next match.”
As for Arsenal, manager Mikel Arteta praised the team’s resilience. “We created a special atmosphere that energized us tonight. Our fans were incredible,” he said. The Gunners are now set to face Brentford in the Premier League before heading to Spain.
For Arsenal, both Rice and Bukayo Saka received treatment during the match but were substituted safely, signaling no major injury concerns. This sets them up for a crucial league fixture against Brentford on Saturday.
On the other hand, Madrid faces a looming crisis as they now must regroup for the second leg without Camavinga. Ancelotti added, “We must not lose hope. Anything can happen at the Bernabeu. We have the experience and strength to turn this around.”
In addition to Camavinga’s suspension, Madrid’s injury list includes key players like Ferland Mendy and Aurélien Tchouaméni, raising doubts about their ability to perform adequately in the return leg.
Despite the loss, Madrid fans are hopeful of a miraculous comeback, recalling many historical moments of triumph at home in the Champions League.
Both teams will now prepare for their next fixtures, with Arsenal looking to build on their momentum, while Madrid hopes to find a way to regain confidence before hosting the Gunners again.
