Real Madrid's Title Hopes in Jeopardy After Valencia Loss Champions League Clash with Arsenal Looms
Real Madrid vs. Arsenal
Champions League quarter-final first leg match (April 8, 2025), where Arsenal stunned Real Madrid with a **3-0 victory** at the Emirates Stadium:
### Key Highlights:
1. **Declan Rice’s Historic Free-Kicks**:
- Rice scored **two sensational free-kicks** (58', 70'), his first direct free-kick goals in his senior career. The second was a near-perfect strike from 25 yards that curled into the top corner .
- Arteta praised Rice’s "magic moments," calling the goals "incredible" against one of the best goalkeepers, Thibaut Courtois .
2. **Mikel Merino’s Goal**:
- Merino added a third (75') with a clinical finish, capitalizing on Arsenal’s dominance in the second half .
3. **Real Madrid’s Struggles**:
- Madrid were outplayed after halftime, with VinÃcius Jr., Mbappé, and Bellingham largely neutralized. Ancelotti admitted the team’s reaction to conceding was "very poor" .
- Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time (90+4') for a second yellow card .
4. **Defensive Masterclass**:
- Arsenal’s defense, led by Saliba and Kiwior (filling in for injured Gabriel), limited Madrid to just 0.5 xG (expected goals) .
5. **Post-Match Reactions**:
- **Ancelotti**: Acknowledged the need for a "historic comeback" at the Bernabéu but admitted the tie was now "very difficult" .
- **Bellingham**: Called the performance "nowhere near good enough" but vowed to fight in the second leg .
- **Arteta**: Celebrated the "beauty" of Rice’s goals and emphasized the team’s belief .
### Next Leg Outlook:
The second leg (April 16, 2025) at the Bernabéu will require a miraculous turnaround from Madrid, akin to Liverpool’s 2019 comeback against Barcelona. However, Arsenal’s defensive solidity and 3-goal cushion make them strong favorites to advance .
For detailed stats and live updates, refer to the match reports .
