Carlo Ancelotti names 3 things Arsenal did better than Real Madrid | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti has never been one for excuses, and after watching his Real Madrid side dismantled by a ferocious Arsenal team in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, the Italian did not pretend anything else had happened.

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“They showed a better attitude, more quality and impressive fitness levels today. They did a lot of things better than us and we have to be honest with ourselves. We weren’t too bad for an hour, we played pretty well in the first half,” said Ancelotti, in a stark appraisal of Madrid’s 3–0 defeat at the Emirates.

Those three areas — attitude, quality, fitness — obliterated the gap between a team hunting a return to the European elite and one that has long called it home. It was a night on which Declan Rice scored two exquisite free-kicks, Mikel Merino added a third, and Arsenal, charged by an electric home support, produced the most memorable performance of Mikel Arteta’s reign.

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Madrid had moments — a Kylian Mbappe chance, a bright early run from Vinicius Jr — but they shrunk as Arsenal grew. By the time Rice struck his second, the visitors were already unravelling. Asked to explain the lack of response, Ancelotti was frank: “It’s hard to explain. There was no collective reaction, we were trying to do things individually. They controlled the ball better and managed the result.”

That lack of cohesion was visible as Madrid’s front four — Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham — were left isolated. “The best players have to play, not sit on the bench,” said Ancelotti, defending his selections. “Then it’s about organising things to make sure you’re a compact unit, and we weren’t able to do that tonight.”

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The difference between the sides was not just tactical, though. It was emotional. Arsenal wanted it more, and it showed. “It was a tough loss. We weren’t expecting this,” Ancelotti admitted.

“Following the two set-piece goals, the team dropped off both mentally and physically. It was a difficult end to the game because we didn’t see the reaction we’re used to seeing from this team. The final 30 minutes were very poor.”

Still, the Madrid coach refused to concede the tie is over, invoking the club’s long history of improbable comebacks at the Santiago Bernabéu. “We have to do everything we can to try and recover. The chances are pretty slim but we have to try, and we’ll try and do it any way we can.

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“Let’s see if we can pull it off. It feels as though there’s no chance after tonight, but things always change in football. Nobody expected Arsenal to score two free-kicks, but anything can happen. It’s very tough, but stranger things have happened at the Bernabéu.”

If Real Madrid are to summon one of their trademark recoveries, they will have to outmatch a team that, for the first time in a generation, looks built to withstand the weight of the occasion.