Real Madrid suffered a shock loss at the hands of Arsenal in their first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Declan Rice scored two magnificent free kicks before Mikel Moreno scored another from the edge of the box to give Arsenal a three goal lead ahead of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
We have seen Real Madrid pull off a comeback from much more difficult situations before. So fans are still optimistic about Los Blancos’ chances of making it through to the semi-finals. There’s a saying that 90 minutes in the Santiago Bernabeu is a long time. But despite the intimidating atmosphere and a history of incredible comebacks at the Bernabeu, this challenge may prove to be a step too far for Real Madrid.
The Bernabeu is different, but this time, it may not be enough for Real Madrid.
From the last few seasons, Real Madrid have been suffering from injury issues. But the club management decided against making any new signings except Kylian Mbappe in the summer transfer window. This has affected the team badly.
The team is lacking in depth in both the defence and midfield area. In defence there’s no reliable backup in the full back areas and centre-back position is just one injury away from a crisis. At right-back, Lucas Vazquez is having inarguably his worst season at Real Madrid. The situation isn’t any better at left-back either with Fran Garcia struggling to find his form and Ferlan Mendy currently out with an injury.
With Dani Carvajal suffering an ACL tear at the beginning stages of this season and Vazquez failing to impress, Fede Valverde has to step-in the right-back position. This has left a major gap in the midfield.
Prior to this season, one of major reasons behind Real Madrid’s success was the presence of Toni Kroos who could dictate the tempo of the game from midfield. With him retiring after last season and Valverde playing at the right-back position, there is a lack of control in the midfield region at present. The recent injury to Dani Ceballos has only added to the problem.
Things aren’t any better at the front end of the pitch either. Vinicius Junior, the best player of the last season has looked like a shadow of his past self with inconsistent performances this season. The much anticipated partnership between Mbappe and Vinicius has failed to materialize, leaving the team unable to pose any serious threats to opposing defenses in crucial matches. In the matchup against Arsenal, Real Madrid managed only three shots on target which isn’t enough by any means.
Although Real Madrid isn’t at full strength due to injuries, Carlo Ancelotti should have made tactical adjustments accordingly. His tactics have failed miserably in recent games, with the team struggling to cope with even the weakest of opponents, let alone a formidable side like Arsenal. We were fortunate not to concede more than three goals on Tuesday, as the situation could have been much worse.
That being said, Real Madrid have defied the odds in the past, and we hope Los Blancos can work some magic once again this time. However, with so many challenges, Bernabeu's magic may not be sufficient. The squad will need to do much more to get to the semi-finals.
Real Madrid will face Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on April 16th at the Santiago Bernabeu. Let’s see what the future holds for Real Madrid.