Real Madrid have suffered no new injuries in the wake of Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal, but still won’t be at full strength for the return game.
David Alaba lined up at left-back at the Emirates Stadium. It is a role in which he first starred in his career before shifting to centre-back during the 2019/20 campaign. But the 32-year-old, who has struggled with fitness since recovering from an ACL absence, was torn to shreds by Bukayo Saka.
Alaba was given the nod on left ahead of Fran Garcia, who has started the majority of games in recent weeks. Ferland Mendy, who may be the player best equipped to face Saka, was ruled out of the first leg and, as relayed by Guillermo Rai, isn’t expected to be back for the second.
In pursuit of a record-extending 16th European Cup, Madrid are tasked with overturning a surprise 3-0 aggregate deficit at the Bernabeu. Two Declan Rice free-kicks in quick succession propelled Arsenal towards a lead that very few teams in Champions League history have ever given up.
On 47 occasions, an aggregate lead of three or more goals has only been overturned four times. Deportivo La Coruna pulled it off against AC Milan in the quarter-finals in 2004, before Barcelona and La Remontada against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. A famous goal from Kostas Manolas completed a similar comeback for Roma over Barcelona a year later, with Liverpool – also against Barcelona – the most recent team to perform such an aggregate comeback, in 2019.
Madrid have no choice but to be optimistic that they can become the fifth.
“There is a second leg, that’s the thing we’re holding on to. We’re going to need something unbelievably special, something crazy really, but if there’s one place where crazy things can happen it’s our house,” Jude Bellingham said in the wake of the first leg defeat.
