Arsenal destroys Madrid in Europe

BarcelonaReal Madrid may be experiencing an apparent nightmare from the spectators' perspective, while their players experience the situation with the same ease as two retirees sipping a café con leche on a weekday morning. This occurred at the Emirates Stadium until the 57th minute. From then on, Arsenal ruined Real Madrid's café con leche in their favorite competition and took away their table and chairs. Two moments of brilliance from Declan Rice and a goal from Mikel Merino gave Arsenal a 3-0 lead heading into the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Just like against Leganés, Real Sociedad, and Valencia, their three previous opponents, Real Madrid showed their shortcomings in England from the start. Chaotic pressing, a defense that moves at the rhythm of a flan, enormous distances between the lines, and an inability to maintain long possessions to force out opponents and create danger. Arsenal trapped him in their own half of the field for many stretches, which led to attacks Gunners repeatedly top-notch. The most decisive early on was a shot from the edge of the box by Thomas Partey that Courtois blocked with help from Asencio.

The data presented would be worrying for any other team, but for Madrid, they often become completely normal in their strange paths to victory. Only a robust David Raya prevented Mbappé, who had not appeared until then, from putting Ancelotti's team ahead on the half-hour mark. The news emboldened Madrid and frightened Arsenal, who momentarily took two steps back to avoid an injustice. Once recovered, Mikel Arteta's team also experienced another injustice: not going into the break with a lead. Rice shot and found Courtois; Martinelli collected the rebound and found Courtois again.

Mikel Arteta's invention of portraying Mikel Merino as a fake new (like Messi at Guardiola's Barça) to counter the English team's absences up front, it gives them greater ability to combine when attacking while also usually taking away some of their firepower. But that wasn't the case this Tuesday. First, a powerful curling shot from Rice on the outside of the wall from a set piece surprised Courtois and put Arsenal ahead when they least deserved it after a lively start to the second half by Madrid. Rice himself, from another free kick, made it 2-0, putting the ball into the top corner and, in the midst of the excitement gunnerMikel Merino put the ball to the test against Madrid at 3-0 with a low, well-placed shot. There was still time for Camavinga to be sent off with a second yellow card (the second for an angry kick after the referee had already called a foul) in an agonizing final half-hour for the Spaniards.

There are eight days left until the return leg, enough time for Madrid and their sympathetic media to create a comeback atmosphere that only they are capable of concocting. Overcoming this tie against Arsenal wouldn't be Madrid's greatest feat in recent years in Europe, but at the Emirates Stadium, Ancelotti's team didn't offer a single argument to convince their team. All their shame was exposed for the Old Continent to see.