Ancelotti: Real Must Overturn 3-0 Loss

A stunning 3-0 loss at Arsenal on Tuesday reduced Real Madrid’s prospects of reaching the Champions League semi-finals, but Carlo Ancelotti warned that the reigning champions may still conjure magic at home.

Declan Rice scored two great free kicks and Mikel Merino finished well to leave the 15-time European champions reeling and facing a mountain to climb in Madrid next week.

Real’s weak performance, rarely threatening in attack and disorganised in defence, was more alarming than the result, though they have managed to win some games this season.

“This team usually improves at the end,” Ancelotti told reporters. It was underwhelming and bad. Be critical of ourselves and work hard to recover next week.”

The Italian stated his team “were not bad throughout large stretches of the game” but knew they had to improve to have a chance.

However, Real have a history of surprising comebacks, especially at the Santiago Bernabeu, and have overcome a three-goal first-leg deficit, albeit over 50 years ago against Derby County in the European Cup.

Real’s chances in the second leg were uncertain, but Ancelotti warned Arsenal the tie was not finished.

“The possibilities (of qualifying) are quite low, but we have to try 100%,” he said. “We have to do all we can, it’s an opportunity to show a response to a poor game.”

He added: “The game tonight makes it impossible. But football evolves. Nobody anticipated Rice to score two set-piece goals.

In football, anything can happen. Because that happened often in the Bernabeu, we must believe and trust.”