Carlo Ancelotti Acknowledges Real Madrid Needs a Remarkable Effort to Reverse Loss Against Arsenal

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that his team’s prospects of making it to the Champions League semi-finals have diminished significantly following a shocking 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday. However, he cautioned that the reigning champions still have the potential to create some magic on home soil.

Declan Rice netted two spectacular free kicks, and Mikel Merino capped the scoring with a tidy finish, leaving the 15-time European champions in disarray and facing a daunting challenge in the return leg in Madrid next week.

More troubling than the final score was Real’s lacklustre display, as they struggled to threaten in attack and appeared disorganised defensively, despite having managed to pull off results at various points this season.

“Typically, this team tends to elevate their performance towards the end of matches,” Ancelotti told the press. “It was disappointing; it simply wasn’t good enough. We need to hold ourselves accountable and do everything possible to turn things around next week.“

The Italian tactician emphasised that significant improvement is essential if they are to have any hope, even as he stated they “were not bad for large portions of the match.”

Nonetheless, Real boasts an impressive record of achieving remarkable comebacks, especially at the Santiago Bernabeu, and they have previously overturned a three-goal deficit in a first leg—though that was nearly 50 years ago against Derby County in the European Cup.

Ancelotti seemed uncertain about their chances in the second leg, but he warned Arsenal that the tie is far from decided.

“The odds (of qualifying) are slim, but we must give it our all,” he told reporters. “This is a chance for us to respond to a subpar performance.“

He added: “Looking at the game tonight, it seems unlikely, but football is unpredictable. Nobody anticipated that Rice would score two goals from set pieces.

“In football, anything can happen. We need to maintain our belief and trust, as the Bernabeu often witnesses extraordinary events.“