Real Madrid woke up to scathing criticism from Spanish press as leading outlets accused the star-studded team of failing to show up against Arsenal.
“Without playing anything, there are no miracles” headlined Marca after the team’s limp 2-1 quarter-final second leg defeat at the Bernabeu. The paper turned on Carlo Ancelotti for his “comeback fiasco” which “ends with another defeat to Arsenal”. “The champion fails to take advantage of the Bernabeu’s dramatic fear,” the newspaper adds.
AS’s “It was just a dream” back page was more praiseworthy of Arsenal’s efforts to secure a 5-1 aggregate triumph over both legs.
“Madrid failed to live up to the fans’ expectations, never came close to a comeback, and fell to a superior Arsenal side,” the outlet wrote. The paper also took issue with Kylian Mbappe being denied a penalty in the first-half after a lengthy VAR check on a challenge by Declan Rice. “Absurd VAR interference that advised a penalty and disallowed another for Mbappe,” AS wrote.
On a miserable night for the European giants, other papers led with pictures of Mbappé on the turf nursing his second half injury. The outlet Sport headlined with “Without Champions and without Mbappe”, adding “Real Madrid had no chance of coming back against Arsenal and is eliminated from Europe”.
Mbappe faced miserable write-ups in France too, with L’Equipe branding his display a “Missed appointment”.
Criticism was in sharp contrast with scenes of delirium in North London on Wednesday night. Hundreds of jubilant Arsenal fans took to the streets and held up a bus amid wild celebrations at one of the team’s greatest ever European nights.
Arsenal fans celebrating at highbury
(@al_juste)pic.twitter.com/3PR7BeDXAA
— Doc (@karthikadhaigal) April 16, 2025
Bukayo Saka’s dinked finish over Thibaut Courtois in the second half had helped ease memories of a Panenka penalty saved by the goalkeeper in the first half as Arsenal quashed all the talk of a Real Madrid comeback following their three-goal first-leg win.
The hosts were given a lifeline as William Saliba was caught on the ball by Vinicius Jnr shortly after Saka’s goal, but Gabriel Martinelli added a breakaway winner in stoppage time.
Real Madrid woke up to scathing criticism from Spanish press as leading outlets accused the star-studded team of failing to show up against Arsenal.
“Without playing anything, there are no miracles” headlined Marca after the team’s limp 2-1 quarter-final second leg defeat at the Bernabeu. The paper turned on Carlo Ancelotti for his “comeback fiasco” which “ends with another defeat to Arsenal”. “The champion fails to take advantage of the Bernabeu’s dramatic fear,” the newspaper adds.
AS’s “It was just a dream” back page was more praiseworthy of Arsenal’s efforts to secure a 5-1 aggregate triumph over both legs.
“Madrid failed to live up to the fans’ expectations, never came close to a comeback, and fell to a superior Arsenal side,” the outlet wrote. The paper also took issue with Kylian Mbappe being denied a penalty in the first-half after a lengthy VAR check on a challenge by Declan Rice. “Absurd VAR interference that advised a penalty and disallowed another for Mbappe,” AS wrote.
On a miserable night for the European giants, other papers led with pictures of Mbappé on the turf nursing his second half injury. The outlet Sport headlined with “Without Champions and without Mbappe”, adding “Real Madrid had no chance of coming back against Arsenal and is eliminated from Europe”.
Mbappe faced miserable write-ups in France too, with L’Equipe branding his display a “Missed appointment”.
Criticism was in sharp contrast with scenes of delirium in North London on Wednesday night. Hundreds of jubilant Arsenal fans took to the streets and held up a bus amid wild celebrations at one of the team’s greatest ever European nights.
Arsenal fans celebrating at highbury
(@al_juste)pic.twitter.com/3PR7BeDXAA
— Doc (@karthikadhaigal) April 16, 2025
Bukayo Saka’s dinked finish over Thibaut Courtois in the second half had helped ease memories of a Panenka penalty saved by the goalkeeper in the first half as Arsenal quashed all the talk of a Real Madrid comeback following their three-goal first-leg win.
The hosts were given a lifeline as William Saliba was caught on the ball by Vinicius Jnr shortly after Saka’s goal, but Gabriel Martinelli added a breakaway winner in stoppage time.
