Real Madrid – Arsenal: The Gunners Go To The Next Level (1-2)

The Gunners blew away the reigning champions with fifteen minutes of fireworks last week. But as the Bernabéu built up the pressure, this display depicted their top trait under Mikel Arteta. With a hint of the dark arts and a brilliant bulwark, the remontada remained a figment of the imagination. The only one of three semi-finalists whose large lead from the first leg never looked like it was in doubt, does the defense hold the key to breaking new ground for Arsenal?

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

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Real Madrid obsess first and foremost with winning. Few would complain about being on the coattails of the league leaders, having a place in one cup final, and being in the quarter-final of the Champions League in April. However, that is not enough for Los Blancos. The team are not favorites for any of these three trophies, and though their talent is strong, the collective continues to frustrate. But if there is anywhere that the comeback kings would want to write more history, it would be the Bernabéu.

Will Arsenal allow themselves to embrace the occasion? That took time to manifest for Mikel Arteta’s men at the Emirates Stadium, where the first half had many traits of the story of their season: a precise plan with compact pressing and possession high up the field but the absence of a killer touch to take advantage of the moment. But thanks to fifteen minutes of magic, the Gunners were three goals to the good ahead of their trip to the Spanish capital. Could they now complete the assignment at hand?

Arteta asked the same group of men from the first leg to take the team into the final four. Jakub Kiwior came into the center of the defense with William Saliba, filling in for Gabriel Magalhães, who is out for the season with a hamstring issue. Thomas Partey picked up a niggle a few days ago but was back in the middle of the park with Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard. Bukayo Saka made his second start after his return from his hamstring injury, and Mikel Merino served as the makeshift striker.

Carlo Ancelotti altered his lineup with two players. Eduardo Camavinga came off the pitch in injury time last week with a second yellow card for petulantly kicking the ball. His compatriot, Aurélien Tchouaméni, took his place in the midfield after a one-match suspension. Federico Valverde was the third piece in the middle of the park with Jude Bellingham. So, Lucas Vázquez earned his spot on the right of the back four. David Alaba acted as the left back, asserting the lack of faith in Fran García.

Ancelotti’s approach alters the balance

The season has been a search for balance for Los Blancos. Ancelotti attempted to tackle Arsenal’s standard structure with a different layout from the one that he used to stifle them in the first leg.

4th minute: offensive transition from Real Madrid. Saka and Ødegaard operate in their usual tandem on the right wing. Tchouaméni tracked the Arsenal captain, but the double coverage of Bellingham was not present. Instead, Vinícius dropped back from a higher position to pressure Partey if he received in recirculatory phases. He provokes a turnover, then spins to the flank as Mbappé moves inside on the dribble and the two forwards forge one of a few early counterattacks in the contest.

Madrid bunkered in a 4-4-2 shape to try and manage the match at the Emirates Stadium. Bellingham built the barrier to Ødegaard with Camavinga and Modrić moved around the dropping Merino; the two more lax forwards (Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior) acted as the first line of the block. But here, Bellingham occupied a more central spot, and Vinícius was closer to the left of the midfield.

It was not a bad idea. As the forwards gambled, they could lurk in a position to hit the visitors on the break but could also attack Arsenal’s midfielders from behind and ruin their rhythm by removing the freedom to fluidly recycle the play. However, at the same time, that put the rearguard under stress: Saka flashed the ball wide of the target in the first five minutes before forcing Courtois to claw a strike away only moments later. That second shot set in motion an almost decisive sequence.

Set-piece specialist Rice whipped a corner kick into the danger zone and Thibaut Courtois claimed the ball in the air easily. However, Asencio had been clinging onto Merino, who fell to the floor. No action took place immediately, but the referee retrospectively pointed for a penalty. Saka stepped forward to strike the ball from twelve yards and tried to dink an effort into the net. It veered off towards the right of the goalkeeper, who was able to parry and prevent an early deficit for the hosts.

Arsenal allow no access

Arsenal had a three goal lead that they only needed to manage. They were content to drop into their usual 4-4-2 system: Merino and Ødegaard operated in the first line, and two banks of four flooded the central areas of the field. With the stamina of Rice in his shuttling runs, the presence of Partey, and the stability of Saliba on the floor, it was even harder for the hosts to get into the middle of the pitch.

- Saliba Vs Mbappe pic.twitter.com/2qmG3RznJr

— 🇦🇪 سلطان (@koora_fan14) April 16, 2025

It required some controversial officiating to offer a little hope to Madrid. Alaba attempted to breach the box with a free kick delivery but failed. From the rebound, Vázquez curled a cross into the penalty area and Asencio attacked the ball to flick it further towards the target. At the far post, Rice remained in close contact with Mbappé and the French forward flipped over. The referee thought it was fitting to award a penalty, but after an inspection of the incident on VAR, he chose to reverse the decision.

Arteta’s men maintained calm heads, hurting their hosts with a more direct approach on the ball. Apart from a few counterattacks to exploit the looser defensive work from the front four, the team turned to loose balls as a foundation to make the ball stick and try to threaten forward for short bursts of time.

31st minute: offensive sequence from Arsenal. Antonio Rüdiger overcome Merino in the fight for the first ball from Raya’s punt, then Tchouaméni beat Ødegaard for the second ball, but Rice raced onto the next possible duel and dominated Vázquez, allowing Martinelli to move forward freely on the wing. The right back recovers and Tchouaméni slides along, but Rice remained free for a diagonal pass inside the block: Rice received and switched sides to release Saka and Ødegaard in a 2 v 2.

Madrid kept trying to go over or around the block. Mbappé worked his way to the edges of the formation, Vinícius was more present with dribbles on the left wing, and Vázquez pushed up the right flank to drive deliveries into the danger zone. But nothing was working, and time was running out.

Game, set and match

At the hour mark, Ancelotti threw on three more players. Valverde moved to the right of the back four, and Dani Ceballos came into the double pivot with Tchouaméni, Endrick took the place of Rodrygo as the right winger, and García gained Alaba’s position as the left back. But the bifurcated block remained and as Rice won another duel in the air, Arsenal finally made the most of the space.

Saka and Ødegaard connected on the right flank and the captain carved through the center with a pass to Rice. No one followed up with the Norwegian, who rolled behind Rice to receive again in space. Merino motioned to his teammate, getting free on the edge of the penalty area, and Saka slipped behind the last line to latch onto a through ball. He tried another chip to beat Courtois, and this one landed in the back of the net. The Gunners were four goals ahead in the tie: surely it was all over?

Briefly, Arsenal allowed their hosts to dream again. Endrick attempted to dribble through a black wall and coughed up the ball to Kiwior, who allowed it to roll to David Raya. The goalkeeper gave the ball to Saliba, but Ødegaard and Partey were under close coverage from white shirts. Vinícius sprinted headlong at the central defender, blocking the lane to Timber, and Saliba strayed into his pressure. The winger wiped out the clean sheet, but his side still had under half an hour to score three more.

Brahim Díaz and Luka Modrić entered the fray for the final fifteen minutes. Yet, the fruitless force of crosses continued into injury time. Brahim bent the ball to the near post, where Kiwior connected with his head, and Merino made contact with the rebound at the top of the eighteen-yard area. He carried forward freely, scanning ahead to see Martinelli motoring diagonally into space. He released the winger, who ran away from García, gunned his way into the box, and buried the ball beyond Courtois. Arsenal were winners on the night and winners in the tie. It was a triumph truly deserved.

A night to remember. This is who we are. pic.twitter.com/bbqSn3KfjE

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 17, 2025

Takeaways

Real Madrid must go back to the drawing board. There was not any alternative but to attack their opponents and bring the best of their talent in the final third: the performance fell far below par. Though there are two titles to fight for in Spain over the next five weeks, this tie might be the final straw for advocates of Ancelotti’s autonomous approach. He does not have an easy balancing act to manage with the squad assembled, but results must match expectations sooner rather than later.

Arsenal are into the final four of the Champions League for the first time since 2009. They held onto their unbeaten record against Los Blancos, and a four goal victory in this tie is the best feat Arteta has achieved in the dugout, directing a display with maturity to manage the lead. The defensive demands he has put on his players have produced one of the best rearguards in Europe and superb stability is half of the battle in cup competition. With a few more magic moments, could it be their year?

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