MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid's website defiantly told fans that “anything is possible," one day before the defending champion attempts to overcome a three-goal deficit to Arsenal in the Champions League.
A video showed Madrid's memorable comebacks in recent years, mentioning the “team of dreams” and the club's achievements “in this stadium, in this competition.”
“Bernabeu, again,” was the headline on the website ahead of the second leg of the quarterfinals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Wednesday.
“I have respect and admiration for what they’ve done in the competition as a club over the years, the history that they have, the values that they defend," Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said, while also trying to downplay the significance of Madrid's past success going into the second leg.
“It’s part of their history and they’ve earned the right to talk about these scenarios," he said. "Our mindset is different in how we have the best chance to be better than them. I think it is exciting. We have never won this competition, and we are trying to do something now where we can dominate.”
A record 15-time European champion, Madrid lost the first leg 3-0 in England last week.
Only four times has a home team erased a first-leg deficit of three goals or more, according to UEFA.
Madrid rival Barcelona recovered after a 4-0 loss at Paris Saint-Germain with a historic 6-1 home victory in the round of 16 in the 2016-17 season. In the 2018-19 semifinals, Liverpool lost 3-0 at Barcelona but advanced with a 4-0 home victory. A season earlier in the quarterfinals, Barcelona was involved again. After beating Roma 4-1 at home, Barcelona lost the second leg 3-0 in the Italian capital.
The only other three-goal comeback by the home team came in 2004 in the quarterfinals, when Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna lost 4-1 at AC Milan and then won 4-0 at home to advance.
Comeback kings
Madrid has a recent history of comebacks in the Champions League that has given fans hope of another magical night at the Bernabeu.
Madrid won its 14th Champions League title in 2022 after rallying its way through the knockout rounds. It looked beaten at the Bernabeu in the last 16 against PSG, in the quarterfinals against Chelsea and in the semifinals against Manchester City, but every time it found a way to advance.
Against City, Madrid needed two late goals by forward Rodrygo — in the 90th minute and in stoppage time — to force extra time, when Karim Benzema converted a decisive penalty kick to put Madrid in the final, where it beat Liverpool.
“The fans will be very important,” Ancelotti said Tuesday. “The push from the fans has helped us many times before. They have helped us a lot in recent years, and tomorrow it will be the same. We need to play at our best level to try to reverse this result, which we know is something difficult to do.
“Madrid has all the resources to make a comeback,” Ancelotti said. “We have the quality, the commitment, the experience, the fans. ... The resources are there. I don't know if we will achieve the result that we need, but I'm certain that we will all give our best."
Tough test
Arsenal hasn't conceded three or more goals in nearly 80 matches across all competitions, since a 4-3 win at Luton in the Premier League in December 2023. The last time Arsenal lost by a three-goal margin was when Brighton won 3-0 at Emirates Stadium nearly three years ago.
“It doesn’t matter. We have to do it again,” Arteta said. “We have to prove it now in this context and that’s the challenge."
The English side last overcame Madrid in the Champions League knockout stage in 2005-06, when it reached the final and eventually lost the title to Barcelona.
Arsenal hasn't lost to Madrid in the teams' three previous meetings, and is the only side to have faced them three times in top European competition without conceding a goal.
Arsenal is looking to reach the European semifinals for the first time since 2009, when it was eliminated by Manchester United.
Madrid will be without midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on Wednesday because of a red card late in the first leg.
Kylian Mbappé was sent off in the Spanish league this weekend but is set to start in the Champions League game on Wednesday.
“He is disappointed with what happened, obviously, but he practiced well and is very motivated,” Ancelotti said. "He has scored a lot of goas this season, and more than ever we need his goals tomorrow."
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
