Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has acknowledged that his team’s odds of advancing to the Champions League semi-finals took a severe hit following a 3-0 loss against Arsenal on Tuesday. However, he cautioned that the reigning champions could still conjure some home magic in the return leg.
Declan Rice’s two superb free kicks, alongside a polished finish from Mikel Merino, left the 15-time European champions stunned and facing a daunting task in Madrid next week.
More troubling than the scoreline was Real’s ineffectual performance, as they rarely posed a threat going forward and appeared disjointed in defence, despite having salvaged results at certain points this season.
“This team usually lifts their game towards the end of matches,” Ancelotti expressed to the press. “It was disappointing, it was subpar. We need to hold ourselves accountable and do everything possible next week to bounce back.“
The Italian was adamant that significant improvement is essential for any chance of progress, even as he remarked that they “were not bad for large portions of the match.”
Nonetheless, Real have a remarkable history of achieving unexpected comebacks, particularly at the Santiago Bernabeu, and have been known to overcome a three-goal first-leg deficit—although the last occurrence was nearly 50 years ago against Derby County in the European Cup.
While Ancelotti seemed sceptical about his side’s prospects for the second leg, he did remind Arsenal that the tie is far from over.
“The chances of qualifying are quite slim, but we must give our all,” he stressed. “We need to do everything we can; this is a chance to respond to a poor performance.“
He continued: “If you analyse tonight’s game, it seems improbable. But in football, things can change. No one expected Rice to score two from set pieces.
“In this sport, anything can happen. We need belief and trust because, at the Bernabeu, incredible things have occurred before.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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