 |
| (Doc. Arsenal.com) |
KANALPORGRES.COM - April 16, 2025 — Arsenal have one foot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals following a sensational 3-0 first-leg triumph over Real Madrid at Emirates Stadium last week. As the football world debates the odds of a Madrid comeback at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Gunners are preparing to defend their advantage against Europe’s most decorated club.
This result marked just the fifth time in history that Real Madrid has lost the opening leg of a European knockout tie by three or more goals. The Spanish giants have only managed to recover from such a deficit once, in the 1985/86 UEFA Cup, when they overturned a 5-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach with a dramatic 4-0 second-leg victory.
Since the Champions League’s rebranding in 1992, Madrid has faced a similar uphill battle only once — a 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the 2012/13 semi-final, which ended in a narrow 2-0 second-leg win that wasn’t enough to turn the tie.
History also favors Arsenal. Across 13 previous European ties where the Gunners held a three-goal lead heading into the second leg, they progressed on every occasion. Notably, Arsenal has never lost to Real Madrid in their three official European encounters, maintaining clean sheets throughout.
Adding to the intrigue, Arsenal has not suffered a three-goal defeat since a 2019 Europa League final loss to Chelsea. The current squad, bolstered by experienced Champions League campaigners like Kai Havertz and Jorginho — who both contributed to Chelsea’s famous 3-2 win at the Bernabéu in 2022 — brings valuable know-how into Wednesday’s showdown.
A victory would see Arsenal become the first English club to win twice at the Bernabéu, following their historic triumph in 2006. The Gunners are now within touching distance of their third-ever Champions League semi-final appearance, with the chance to write a new chapter in the club’s European history.
All eyes now turn to Madrid, where Arsenal will aim to finish the job and secure a landmark result in their remarkable European campaign.***
