By Tony Attwood
As Sports Mole tell us, “It has been 19 years since a trademark Thierry Henry solo run propelled Arsenal to a 1-0 Bernabeu win in 2006,”
I suspect Real Mad will by-pass that bit of history and instead hang on to the fact that although overcoming a three-goal or more deficit is quite rate, it can be done, and has in fact occurred on four occasions since the Champions League replaced the old Euro Cup in 1992.
Liverpool did it of course, because they have to do everything. They lost 3-0 to Barcelona in 2018-19 and won 4-0 at Anfield. Deportivo La Coruna did it and so did Roma (against AC Milan and Barcelona respectively), and that’s it except for Barcelona being four goals down to PSG and then winning the second leg 6-1 in 2017.
What we might also do is remember where Real Mad ended up in the group table that preceeded this season’s knock-out rounds. They came 11th in the league in which each club played eight games and had a goal difference of +8, as compared to Arsenal’s +13.
Anyway Opta gives Arsenal an 89.7% chance of going through to the semi-finals and it is being noted that if Arsenal were to win tonight, that would mean Real Mad have lost more games in this season’s champs league than in any other season of this or the European Cup. And that I suppose might make them really mad. Ho ho.
And this gives us a chance to bring in Guillem Ramón Antonio Balagué, because on the EuroLeague podcast he said, “Every single time Madrid did a miracle, the preview said it is not possible. But on this occasion, you are talking about a team that don’t defend well, with no architecture in the midfield, and where there are no patterns. They depend a lot on the individuals, as always. They haven’t got a capacity to react.”
He also noted that the team ran 12km less than Arsenal in the first leg, although I suppose Real Mad are hoping that Arsenal are now tired.
I always enjoyed his contributions to Sky when he was on, and he seemed a thoroughly decent bloke. So I suspect he doesn’t know that at the moment the Wiki page about him says, “Balagué is a human and has made several English and Spanish newspapers.”
Well, now I have pointed it out, perhaps he might get someone to change that .
As James Horncastle on the EuroLeagues podcast noted, Real Mad “has injuries, it has flaws, it is not balanced.”
Anyway, Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Mad was just the 12th time an English club has won by three or more goals in the first leg of a Champs League knockout tie. Every time so far the English team has gone through.
On the other hand speaking at Tuesday’s news conference, Bellingham added: “It’s a night that’s made for Real Madrid.
And I guess we have to remember that in 2023/4 Real Mad got two very late goals at home against Bayern Munich to get them to the final and then win the pot.
For tonight Arsenal’s injury list of course remains ludicrous: Calafiori (knee), Gabriel (hamstring), Havertz (hamstring), Jesus (knee), Jorginho (ribs), Tomiyasu (knee)
As for the team the Standard offer
Raya;
Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly;
Odegaard, Partey, Rice;
Saka, Merino, Martinelli
The Metro offer exactly the same lineup and so do Sports Mole which is pretty much suggesting that unless something happens in training this is going to be the starting XI. They also added the point that “A well-rested Jurrien Timber will return to the XI regardless of White’s fitness levels.” So now we know.
Fingers (and everything else) crossed.
That Barcelona turn around, pretty sure the ref helped at that game.
A penalty decision overturned in our favor! Shocking!
What I want to know is: Who writes Saka’s scripts?
If only we had a striker.
GET IN THEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
What a performance…what a win…. Saka making up for his penalty miss, and then Saliba making sure Real doesn’t want him and then that final sprint from Martinelli in extra time to make it a win…. unbelievable result…. 5-1 over 2 legs against the holder Real Madrid…… who could have imagined that…..
From Arsenal Belgium:
Waar is je remontada?
Where is your remontada?
Où est ta remontada ?
Wo ist deine Remontada?
¿Dónde está tu remontada?
Dove è la tua remontada?
Onde está a tua remontada?
Waar is je remontada?
Gdzie jest twoja remontada?
Где твоя ремонтада?
Remontadan nerede?
أين هي ريمونتادتك؟
你的逆转在哪里？
君のリモンターダはどこ？
너의 리몬타다는 어디 있지?
Var är din remontada?
Hvor er din remontada?
Hvor er din remontada?
Unde este remontada ta?
Πού είναι η ρεμοντάδα σου;
Hol van a te remontádád?
Wonderful Walter 🤣
Wait for the media and the pundits saying that RM are no longer as good as they were and that they were poor tonight. McManaman already talking up PSG as better than Arsenal.
Delighted for all our players. Raya had 2 shots to save. Courtois, as in the first leg, was outstanding and kept them in the game. Referee was strange in giving free-kick for non-existent fouls, but was not biased in any way, so a refreshing change from PGMOL. Rice outstanding, everyone good. Special mention for Kiwior and Merino.
Just imagine…. Havertz coming back in the CL final and win it for us…… after tonigh one can dream but first PSG….
John L
“Referee was strange in giving free-kick for non-existent fouls, but was not biased in any way, so a refreshing change from PGMOL.”
Good assessment.
Never the less, Mrs N wasn’t happy with him, on the basis she thinks he should of yellow carded a lot more of their players. Which I have to agree with. Also he gave a terrible foul on the edge of our box for a blatant dive.
I understand both penalties in real time, so I don’t blame him for those decisions. But VAR, again weirdly, DID THEIR JOB. How refreshing.
But for all his faults, I never felt he was biased, or cheating in any way. Not faultless by any means, but not a cheat, and that was a cauldron.
We would of lost that if refereed by a PIGMOB official, I have no doubt. VAR would not of given our penalty and certainly not overturned theirs for a start.
@Nitram
I agree in the PMGOL League No penalty to us and a penalty for RM.
I am wondering when was the last time RM were doubled in Europe, or os this another first for Arsenal?