9/4/2025–|Last update: 9/4/202508:32 PM (Mecca time)
The Arsenal match and its Real Madrid guest in the Champions League acquired the attention of the global media, not because of the great victory achieved by the “Gunners”, but also because of the dull form that the “royal” team appeared and the way its coach Carlo Ancelotti managed the meeting from behind the lines.
Real Madrid suffered a heavy defeat at the Emirates Stadium that settled at 0-3 in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the ancient European Championship, which makes it difficult for things a lot in the second leg next week.
🏁 Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid
⚽ 58 ‘Decla Rice
⚽ 70 ‘Decla Rice
⚽ 75 ‘Mikel Merino pic.twitter.com/lmc7wdyldkReal Madrid (@realmadridarab) April 8, 2025
Real Madrid players and their coach Ancelotti lived a harsh night that may have negative repercussions for the remaining matches of the team this season, which is still competing for the trilogy until now.
The Spanish newspaper “Sport” believes that this defeat has 7 main reasons that I reviewed under the title “The Seven Great Sins for Real Madrid”, which are:
1- Bad planning
The back line – specifically the center of the defense’s heart – was worried about Real Madrid since the beginning of the season, but the administration was satisfied with contracting Killian Mbappe and Andrek in the offensive line and considered that the transfer market had been closed to it, then the injury of Edir Milato and Danny Carvajal came to worsen the crisis.
Real Madrid had an opportunity to correct these mistakes and enhance the depth of defense in the winter “Mercato”, but President Florentino Perez fell very strange not to contract any right -back defender or back.
2- Ancelotti administration
Away from poor planning, Ancelotti is not able to exonerate what is happening to Real Madrid this season, as his management of players was very ambiguous, in addition to his lack of dependence on the principle of rotation.
The Italian coach grabbed some names despite its low level, while giving a few minutes to the talented players, such as Arda Guller and Andrek, especially the latter who shine a lot this season in the King’s Cup.
3- The obsession with stars
Andrik and Guller’s decline is due to Ancelotti’s permanent insistence on the involvement of the Quartet Mbappe, Rodrigo Gos, and Vinicius Junior, the presence of Bellingham together in a “system that does not suit them” despite some moments that showed their individual capabilities.
In front of Arsenal, the cost of paying these four looked very expensive, as the “Gunners” again showed that Real Madrid’s seriousness can be easily easily reduced by removing the ball from behind, and exceeding the initial pressure in the absence of Vinicius and Mbabi’s commitment to the defensive duties that accumulate on Bellingham, which limits its offensive risk, while Rodrigo appears in such cases at intermittent periods.
4- The Dahiri crisis
In light of the ineffectiveness of the attack, attention is focused on defense, specifically the two backs, which are real disasters for Real Madrid this season, in light of relying on Lucas Vasquez, who cost his defensive fragility a lot.
In front of Arsenal, Ancelotti relied on Valverde in the afternoon to lose a pivotal player in the midfield, and on the other side Bocao Saka formed a continuous threat to David Alaba.
“Alaba is no longer at his level, Virland Mindy is injured, the performance of Fran Garcia does not give the coach sufficient confidence, and the outcome of Real Madrid is suffering a real crisis in the two backs of the two backs despite their importance in modern football,” the newspaper said.
5- The absence of self-criticism
Real Madrid has reached the last and decisive third of the season as it competes for 3 championships, but in a way that is closer to the miracle, and despite that, there was no real self -criticism to try to change.
The team suffers in every match with the evidence for the hardest qualification to the King’s Cup final, as well as in the Champions League matches, but nothing has changed and continued to play in the dull style itself.
6- The players ’betrayal
This point is linked to poor planning. Some players were supposed to develop, but they did not do that, and the biggest example of this is Eduardo Kamavinga, as the player has not shown a great development since he joined Real Madrid.
As for Aurelin Xamini, despite his recent improvement, but he went through a clear retreat during the season, and Rodrigo is clear that he will always remain in the shadow of others, while Guller did not prove his talent on which many expectations were built.
7- The decline in the level of Veniceus
“Sport” believes that this point is the most “sudden” reasons behind the Real Madrid setback. Since the Golden Ball ceremony and his loss of the award in favor of Spanish Manchester City player, the Brazilian is no longer the player who was terrifying the opponents.
Last season, 2023-2024 was a wing that was able to resolve the matches on his own, but recently he became a shadow for himself, and it appears that Mbabi’s arrival affected him psychologically.
“Vinicius’s retreat seems to be more psychological than being physically, but in the end, the presence of the team star in this case has deprived Real Madrid of many opportunities and successes,” the newspaper concluded.
