Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was ineffective in the 3-0 Champions League loss to Arsenal. Reuters
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was ineffective in the 3-0 Champions League loss to Arsenal. Reuters
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was ineffective in the 3-0 Champions League loss to Arsenal. Reuters
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was ineffective in the 3-0 Champions League loss to Arsenal. Reuters

Guns are out for Real Madrid after harrowing Champions League defeat at Arsenal


Andy Mitten
  • English
  • Arabic

April is normally the month where Real Madrid move up through the gears ahead of success and more trophies in May. Time and again, football’s most successful club bewilder opponents and leave them dazed.

As the reigning Spanish, European and world champions, there was little reason to suspect they wouldn’t do the same this season as they homed in on a treble. But April has started awfully for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The signs were there when Real Sociedad held them to a 4-4 draw at the Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey semi-final last week before Madrid narrowly advanced on aggregate in extra time.

Saturday saw a Valencia side who have been fighting relegation all season win 2-1 at the Bernabeu with a 95th-minute winner. That defeat left Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga with eight league games to play.

Tuesday night saw what could be the biggest blow of all, a 3-0 reverse at Arsenal in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final first leg. Spain was stunned.

“Arsenal burns Madrid,” was the headline in El Pais, who said that “Arteta’s team dominates a timid and disorientated Madrid, who except for Mbappe’s runs was subdued. Madrid collapsed with two amazing free kicks from Declan Rice and a goal from Merino.”

It was one of the greatest results in Arsenal's history and they are clear favourites to reach only a fourth semi-final in European football’s top competition. But as the front page of Wednesday’s Marca states: “Humiliated … but for Madrid nothing is impossible.” The second leg is next Wednesday at the Bernabeu, time for the shock of the Arsenal game to sink in and get a reaction.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks dejected following the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. AFP
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks dejected following the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. AFP

“Nothing in the Champions League has been more extreme than Real Madrid’s way of winning, a tightrope walker of impossible nights, a team that has walked along the sharpest edges without their heart rates rising, disconcerting rivals who fell under the weight of something they considered absurd. And that it was,” wrote El Pais. “Their falls are also extreme. The giants, as giants, collapse with a crash. Ancelotti’s team sank disappointed in Manchester under the hammer of City [4-0] and melted two years later in London burned by the meticulous conviction of Arsenal and the aim of Declan Rice, who made two astonishing free kicks. Mikel Merino’s feet made it more difficult for Real Madrid to pass to the semi-final.”

Ancelotti, usually a celebrant for his outstanding side, turned critic.

“The last 30 minutes were very bad,” said the Italian. “In the first half we did quite well, the team was organised. But with the two goals from set pieces we fell a little physically and mentally. We had no reaction, something we usually have. We were not able to make a joint reaction, a united one. We made individual plays and they penalised us. We lost order.”

Madrid have not been as imperious in Europe as usual, losing three of their eight games in the group phase. It barely seems to matter though as they almost always do enough to progress and win the competition, yet the defeat at Arsenal could have been worse.

“I know two of their three goals were free kicks, but they could have scored many more," admitted Madrid forward Jude Bellingham. “We weren’t even close. They punished us and that happens in a high-level football. That’s the truth, Arsenal were really good.”

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham admitted Arsenal could have scored more than their three goals. EPA
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham admitted Arsenal could have scored more than their three goals. EPA

Madrid fans will be determined to make the Bernabeu hell for Arsenal as they attempt their latest astonishing comeback. But there was praise for the English club in Spain.

“Declan Rice, settled into that stage of life we ​​all dream of as children and only a select few can enjoy in the same match, in the best competition and against the reigning champion, unleashed two missiles into the top corner so devastating, so impressive, that he beat Courtois after one of the craziest performances – and it’s already difficult – from the Belgian goalkeeper for Madrid,” wrote El Pais. “Two direct free kicks, two impossible goals.”

And while half of those in Spain with affection for Madrid hope for better, the other half were not displeased.

“Humiliated,” is the headline on the Catalan Mundo Deportivo around a picture of one of Rice’s superb curling free kicks around Madrid’s wall, with their brilliant white shirt greyed out to show that they were almost invisible. Rice had never scored from a direct free kick in his professional career that is now in its 10th season. Then he did it twice in 12 second-half minutes. Not for nothing the cover of the Madrid based AS showed Vinicius Junior with his shirt pulled over his face and the Catalan Sport an image of Bellingham wiping his brow, dazed and confused. Arsenal were that good and Madrid weren’t.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

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Royal Birkdale Golf Course

Location: Southport, Merseyside, England

Established: 1889

Type: Private

Total holes: 18

How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Updated: April 09, 2025, 10:22 AM`