Real Madrid vs Arsenal scenario

Real Madrid have not given up hope.

If you had to pick a team capable of creating miracles on Champions League nights, Real Madrid would certainly be the top candidate. The Bernabéu always creates a special atmosphere, making opponents tremble. Coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the first leg: "In football, anything can happen. At the Bernabéu, miracles often appear."

Difficult

A glorious history and a passionate atmosphere are powerful weapons for any team, especially when Real Madrid need a fulcrum. However, the reality on the pitch is still a story of professional ability. History, tradition or the audience at the Bernabeu cannot replace Real players when they face an Arsenal team with a solid, perfectly organized defense.

The question is: Can Real Madrid really score three goals at the Bernabeu in the return leg? An expected goals (xG) of 0.5 from nine shots in the first leg shows how poor Real Madrid have been. Early mistakes from Jakub Kiwior and Bukayo Saka created opportunities for Real Madrid. A moment of brilliance from Jude Bellingham gave Kylian Mbappe another chance, but the La Liga side failed to capitalise.

As Arsenal recovered from their sloppiness in the opening half-hour, Real Madrid were left in a state of near-stalemate. William Saliba and his team-mates looked solid. Arsenal had some outstanding individuals at the back. Jurrien Timber showed his mettle in one-on-one situations with Vinícius Júnior, while Myles Lewis-Skelly made up for his lack of experience with a natural ability to read the game.

Rodrygo was completely locked down. At centre-back, Jakub Kiwior, who was expected to be the weak point in place of Gabriel, was impressive. "I feel great after the game," the Pole said. "But I kept a cool head because the biggest challenge is still ahead."

That spirit permeates the Arsenal squad. Marked by the difficult years and led by Mikel Arteta – a coach who has set out to end the period of ridicule – Arsenal are now a serious, uncompromising team, hard to concede and frustrating to create.

Arsenal are holding a big advantage.

When not in possession, Arsenal's formation is almost perfect. Fulham midfielder Sander Berge once said that the Gunners' defensive movements without the ball were "as if they were being controlled by someone remotely".

Real Madrid's hope

Arsenal's possession is their best defensive weapon. They only attack when their defence is ready. Only one team in the Premier League this season has allowed fewer counter-attacking shots than Arsenal. This is all the more impressive given their high-pressing nature.

The last time Arsenal conceded three goals was a 4-3 win over Luton in December 2023. Losing by a three-goal margin – which would have allowed Real Madrid to level the tie on aggregate – is something Arsenal have not done for nearly two years.

However, if Arsenal continue to push high and maintain their possession style, Real Madrid can hope for counter-attacks. "Los Blancos" have some of the best pace and transition players in the world right now.

Arsenal's current form is not too great. Both Brentford and Everton managed to hold Arsenal to a draw, taking advantage of their defensive errors. Real Madrid are clearly on a different level to Everton or Brentford. Although "Los Blancos" played poorly in the first leg, the return leg promises to see a change.

They will play more aggressively. Jude Bellingham will be less focused on marking Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka, instead pushing forward to support Mbappé and Vinícius. Rodrygo will also not often drop back to cover for Federico Valverde. Real Madrid need to attack with all their might from the first minute.

With the current squad of players, fans have the right to believe that Real Madrid can score at least three goals. The remaining issues are timing and defensive ability. If "Los Blancos" cannot open the score early in the second leg, they will be impatient and give Arsenal a psychological advantage.

And what happened when Arsenal overcame Real Madrid's shaky midfield and defence over the past two months? Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Odegaard have all been excellent counter-attackers, while the Bernabeu side have been conceding goals in recent times.

Real Madrid have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 games, against Alavés in La Liga last weekend. Opponents have had at least 10 shots in 15 of their last 17 games. This season, Ancelotti's side have conceded an average of over 1.05 expected goals (xG) per game, and in the Champions League that figure has risen to 1.4 xG.

Their only clean sheet came against a disheartened Brest. However, UEFA’s removal of the away goals rule has given Real more opportunities. They just need to focus on attacking, and just score enough goals.

Based on the first leg performance and technical statistics, Real Madrid's strongest weapon at the moment is probably just the Bernabéu halo and the belief in the possibility of a comeback. And in football, anything can happen.

Goals in the match Aston Villa defeated PSG In the early morning of April 16, Aston Villa defeated PSG 3-2 but was still eliminated with a total score of 5-4 in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Source: https://znews.vn/kich-ban-real-loi-nguoc-dong-arsenal-post1546239.html