Real Madrid to attempt epic Champions League comeback vs. Arsenal: Here’s why it won’t happen for Los Blancos

If you would pick up a team to eradicate something magical on a Champions League evening, you would cover them in the colors of Real Madrid. Something happens to the other team when they rock the Santiago Bernabeu on a large European evening. Carlo Ancelotti put it the best in the midst of the post-matchwags on Tuesday.

“Everything can happen in football. Often something happens in the Bernabeu,” he said.

Immaculate vibes and a rich history, they are fun things to have at the largest occasions. However, where they are not patch, is a team that can destroy a shortage of three goals against the best defense in Europe.

Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always you can catch all our coverage Paramount+” CBS Sports Network And CBS Sports Golazo Network all season.

Starting with the most obvious part of the task, did this really look like a team that is able to score three times at the Emirates Stadium? Nine shots for a half expected goal (XG) would otherwise suggest. Misses by Jakub Kiwior and Bukayo Saka handed over the visitors who threatened the moments early. A moment of exceptional quality links by Jude Bellingham handed Kylian Mbappe his best chance of the night, bent too close to David Raya. As soon as Arsenal cut away the carelessness of the first half hour, Madrid noticed that she was entering a William Saliba-shaped brick wall.

His teammates were just as robust. The starting point for the defensive excellence of Arsenal is fairly simple: excellent defenders. Jurrien Timber proved himself as a Tyro one-on-one with Vinicius Junior and what Myles Lewis-Skelly has no experience, he makes good in the supernatural anticipation where a game could go. Rodrygo did not get a quarter of them.

Between the Young Left Back and Saliba was Jakub Kiwior, who promised to be the obvious weak link for Gabriel. Instead, he proved that he is always what he has always been, a defender of real talent who needs representatives to look his best himself. “After the game I felt really good,” said the Poland International. “You know that after such a game, there is no other way, you just feel really good, but I still have the feeling that it is not over yet. The hardest thing is still for us. I am still cool.”

His feelings will be shared by the rest of the Arsenal side coming on Wednesday evening. Craised by the “jess years” and reflection of the manager who has joined a player with a mission to end those days, this is a relentless serious outfit. They do not clean the concession of goals and will make it ruthless for Madrid to take pictures. If they do not have the ball, their shape is flawless, so that Fulham’s Sander Berge will notice earlier this month that it was “as if someone is standing upright in row 50 on remote control”.

More often than not, however, it is that their most effective defense weapon is. They only attack when their resting of rest has been established. One team in the Premier League has given up fewer counter -attacking shots than those of Mikel Arteta. That is all the more impressive considering the extent to which they connect to push bodies high when they build up attacks.

You have to go back to December 2023 and a 4-3 victory against Luton for the last time that the Gunners have admitted three goals. It has been two years since they have been defeated by the margin of three goals that Arsenal needs to take this draw to extra time.

Brentford may have gone away with a draw on Saturday, but after he had seen his side on three shots and 0.24 xg, their manager can confirm how tough a nootarenal is to crack. “One thing, looking from the outside, Arsenal works hard,” said Thomas Frank. “They are very well defensive, they are very good on defensive set pieces. So I think it will be fine.”

Champions League Expert -Picks, predictions: Will Real Madrid take a miracle against Arsenal in Spain?

James Benge

To which the answer can be, well, it is one thing to keep Fulham and Brentford at one goal, but Madrid is one step further in the second and third best teams in London. It is true, although so much was not immediately clear in the first stage. Undoubtedly it will change now that there is work to do. Less Van Bellingham will revolve around Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, more near Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. The same applies to Rodrygo, who spent an hour plus with the emirates that Federico Valverde shielded. This will have to be a total attack from the minute one.

Given the talent you could believe, that could somewhat get the three-plus goals that are needed. However, what happens when Arsenal comes through a press who tends to have a tendency in the rare cases, it is actually used? Opponents tend not to give Declan Rice the chance to get into the transition. The reason why was visible on Saturday.

Then there is the prospect that Saka and Odegaard get open space to attack or from Vinicius who does not return and is isolated David Alaba against one of the most devastating two -man games of the sport. Gabriel Martinelli on the other flank is another who can rarely run in an open field, precisely because he looks as dangerous when he does.

Madrid plays their normal game and has one clean sheet in their name in their last 10 games, which come when their 10 men have been canceled by Alaves at the weekend. Opponents have had more than 10 shots in 15 of their last 17 games. In the course of the season, the side of Ancelotti has allowed an expected goal per match in all matches in all matches, and at the highest level of the Champions League that number is up to 1.4 xg with their only clean sheet against a Brest side with little to play for. Wrackled due to injuries is their defense to come.

It may have cost two brilliant rice -free stairs to swing the Tie Arsenal’s way, but from open play more chances came to the hosts than their opposition, half -paste Saka thought it was all too easy to burst to the name rule and to reduce from there. That was against a Madrid team that seemed to keep it tight with a view to winning the draw at the Bernabeu next week.

That failed to a considerable spectacular extent. No one associated with Arsenal would allow themselves to believe that their task is being done when they go to the Spanish capital, but if their opponent was not in line in the white of the 15-way European champions, would someone give a prayer? Based on their performance on the first leg, the Madridian Aura is perhaps the most powerful weapon available for Ancelotti. It won’t be enough.