There was no 'Miracle of the Bernabeu'. Real Madrid lost to Arsenal and failed to advance to the semi-finals of the European Champions League (UCL) for the first time in five years.
Real lost to Arsenal 1-2 in the second round of the 2024-2025 UCL quarterfinals at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, on the 17th (Korea Standard Time) and suffered a total score of 1-5. On the other hand, Arsenal reached the UCL semifinals for the first time in 16 years since the 2008-2009 season when former coach Arsen Wenger was in charge. Arsenal will compete with Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Aston Villa to advance to the semifinals.
Real, which suffered a shocking 0-3 defeat in the away game in the first round, aimed for a miraculous come-from-behind victory with a wave of attacks. Real, with Real's proud three-top Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrigo, did not shoot a single shot in the first half. When the game didn't go as it should, Real players began to get rough. In particular, midfielder Jude Bellingham threw away the opponent and made moves like stepping on a fallen player. Defenders David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asensio were warned one after another. Rudiger stomped on Arsenal Holy Miles Lewis-Skelly's abdomen, but avoided warning.
Real, who overcame the crisis of losing the first goal due to Bukayo Saka's missed penalty kick in the first half, gave Saka the first goal in the 20th minute of the second half. In the 22nd minute of the second half, two minutes after the loss, Vinicius did not miss the opponent's mistake and quickly scored an equalizer, raising a glimmer of hope. Mbappe, who had been silent for two consecutive games against Arsenal, was brought to the bench and Luca Modric, Endrick, and Brahim Diaz were replaced to try to turn the tables. On the other hand, Arsenal defended Ben White, Kieran Tierney, and Olaxandr Zinchenko by investing defensive resources.
Three minutes into extra time in the second half, when the 1-1 score continued, Gabriel Martinelli silenced the Real fans who filled the Bernabeu with the winning goal that sealed the advance to the semifinals. The match ended in Arsenal's 2-1 victory. Real has not reached the semifinals in five seasons since it was eliminated from the round of 16 in the 2019-2020 season. Real, who heard the big year in the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, left early without winning their 16th career championship trophy.
It is predicted that the defeat could bring about the end of the Ancelotti era. Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson told Radio 5'BBC'Real now is not up to the level expected by supporters. It wouldn't be surprising if some changes were made." Spanish journalist Guillaume Balage told the BBC"Ancelotti's role is to maintain harmony in the locker room and to instill faith in Real that they can win any game. Previously, that belief worked"However, this season, such an approach has revealed its limitations. Real played less than their opponents in big games and failed to make good use of backup players such as Arda Güller, Brahim Díaz and even Endrick. This has put more pressure on key players, who now look physically and mentally exhausted." Carlo Ancelotti, who was reappointed as Real's head coach in 2021, is under contract until 2026. Recently, he has been strongly connected to the Brazilian national soccer team.
With Real's elimination, Mbappe and Lee Kang-in's 'Friendship Confrontation' did not happen. Mbappe, who left PSG this season to join Real as a club of dreams, scored a total of seven goals in the Champions League but remained silent in the last four games, including two in the round of 16 against Atletico Madrid and two against Arsenal. He shot two times on the day, but there was no effective shot. complain of leg pain He stepped back to the bench in the 30th minute of the second half. On the other hand, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who won the Most Valuable Player Award for his two picturesque free-kick scores, received MOM for two consecutive games due to his near-perfect control of the midfield in the second game.
Due to the elimination of Real and Munich together, all the teams that won the big year from the 2016-2017 season to the last season failed to reach the semifinals. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Inter Milan will clash in the semifinals. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are aiming to win for the first time in history, while Inter Milan will try to win their fourth championship in 15 years since 2010, when they won the treble with Jose Mourinho. Barcelona will start hunting for its sixth trophy in 10 years since 2015 when Lionel Messi was in office. If Barcelona wins this season, it will tie Bayern Munich and Liverpool for third place in the total number of wins.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
