The Spanish press have let rip at Real Madrid after their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
The Gunners put in a brilliant display on Tuesday against an out-of-sorts Real, with two sensational Declan Rice free-kicks and a third strike from Mikel Merino securing the victory.
It was a major blow for Carlo Ancelotti’s side and, while they have been known for pulling off several European miracles in the past, they face an extremely tough task to overturn the deficit at the Bernabeu next week.
Several Real players underperformed at the Emirates and things got worse in added time when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off, ruling him out of the second leg.
And, following the game, Real were heavily criticised by the Spanish papers, with Mundo Deportivo’s front page displaying one of Rice’s goals, with the headline ‘Humillados’, meaning ‘humiliated’.
Meanwhile, Sport’s front page had Jude Bellingham looking dejected with the headline ‘Tocadisimos’, which simply translates as ‘we played’.
The Spanish press have lambasted Real Madrid after their dreadful 3-0 defeat by Arsenal
The Gunners outplayed Real and now have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals
Carlo Ancelotti came in for heavy criticism from the Spanish media alongside many of his stars
Other outlets pointed to the tough ask facing Ancelotti’s men next week, with AS’ message of ‘Obligado A Otro Milagro’ meaning ‘bound to another miracle’.
However, Marca displayed a more upbeat tone while also highlighting the severity of the situation.
‘Humillados Pero… Para El Madrid No Hay Imposibles’, coming in as ‘Humiliated but… for Madrid nothing is impossible’.
Elsewhere, the outlet were more damning in their criticism as an online piece read: ‘Debacle in London. Madrid abdicated in the same place where they were crowned champions just under a year ago.
‘It had been a long time since Real Madrid had suffered such a severe blow in Europe. It came after a calamitous performance in which Vinicius led the resignation of an attacking trident that had passed without much fanfare at the Emirates.’
Marca also let out their ire at certain stars, with Real’s world-class front-three, and Ancelotti, coming in for criticism.
‘Vinicius, Mbappe, and Rodrygo showed no signs of life,’ they continued. ‘Without threatening, Madrid was a toy in the hands of an Arsenal side that battered them from start to finish.
‘A recital of saves from Courtois, two goals saved on the goal line, countless last-minute clearances… Madrid endured a nightmare on the pitch, and Ancelotti in the technical area. The captain didn’t jump ship, but he let it sink.’
Mundo Deportivo’s front page highlighted how Ancelotti’s side were ‘humiliated’ by Arsenal
Sport showed Real’s dejection and simply said ‘Tocadisimos’, which translates as ‘we played’
AS and Marca admitted humiliation but attempted to strike an upbeat tone for the second leg
They later added: ‘Real Madrid mortally wounded. A terrible, flat Real Madrid, without ideas, without a plan, without a game, which was saved by Courtois from an even greater defeat.’
AS’ website was similarly critical, comparing the evening to a ‘shipwreck’ for Los Blancos and describing them as a ‘largely outdated sieve’.
Meanwhile, popular TV show El Chiringuito labelled Tuesday a ‘historic debacle’ and ‘a tragedy in London’.
The likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe continued to come under scrutiny from the Spanish media, with AS lamenting how ‘Real Madrid thrives on the talent of its stars. But at the Emirates Stadium, there was no flash’.
One Marca columnist raged: ‘He (Vinicius Jr) was completely out of it. Passes that led nowhere, pointless runs, a zero defensive attitude… I don’t know where he was all evening, but not at the Emirates Stadium.’
The same outlet was similarly brutal in their assessment of Mbappe who was described as ‘failing and ineffective’ and ‘as grey as the jersey he wore’.
Marca’s player ratings for the clash were also not pretty reading, with five stars – David Alaba, Camavinga, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo – all receiving a mark of 4/10.
Alaba’s ‘terrible night’ was bemoaned, as was Camavinga’s ‘umpteenth blunder of the match’ that saw him sent off, while Rodrgyo was described as ‘unrecognisable’ and ‘a shadow’.
Vinicius Jnr came in for heavy criticism and was accused of being non-existent at the Emirates
Marca described Kylian Mbappe as ‘as grey as the jersey he wore’ after an ineffective display
Nevertheless, recent seasons have been characterized by stunning Real comebacks in the Champions League, which has seen them pick up memorable victories over Man City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich among others.
And AS did their best to look at things optimistically as they concluded: ‘Real Madrid are once again on the brink of the impossible.
‘The situation demands another poltergeist at the Bernabeu, that black hole that has so often swallowed up the greatest.’
Marca added: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s us.’
