It was supposed to be another historic Champions League night at the Bernabéu — but instead, it was Arsenal who walked away smiling, knocking Real Madrid out of the tournament and leaving fans in disbelief.
While Kylian Mbappé arrived in Spain with massive expectations, it was Arsenal who stole the spotlight across both legs of their quarter-final clash.
No Comeback Magic in Madrid
Real Madrid came into the second leg needing a miracle after a brutal 3-0 loss in London.
But any hopes of a famous turnaround were quickly dashed.
Arsenal stayed composed, controlled the pace, and sealed a 2-1 win on the night, completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory.
Madrid’s only goal came from a rare mistake — William Saliba got dispossessed by Vinicius Jr., who slotted the ball home. Other than that, the Spanish side didn’t offer much of a threat.
Arsenal’s keeper David Raya had one of his quieter nights between the posts.
Courtois Takes a Subtle Swipe
After the final whistle, Thibaut Courtois didn’t hold back. The Real Madrid shot-stopper praised Arsenal for their solid structure and defensive game but didn’t shy away from implying that something was missing up front — mainly, a traditional striker.
“We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have Joselu,” Courtois said, pointing to the absence of a natural target man.
He wasn’t naming names, but the comment came across as a thinly veiled critique of Real’s decision to replace Joselu with Kylian Mbappé last summer.
Mbappé Goes Quiet When It Mattered Most
Despite scoring an impressive 32 goals in his debut season for Madrid — seven of which came in the Champions League — Mbappé just couldn’t make a dent in Arsenal’s defense.
He was kept largely anonymous across both legs, unable to find space or spark the kind of brilliance he’s known for.
It’s yet another reminder that despite all his individual accolades, the French superstar is still chasing that elusive Champions League crown.
Was Real’s Squad Better Without Him?
Courtois’ comments hinted at a bigger question: has the addition of Mbappé thrown off the balance of a squad that was crowned champions of both LaLiga and Europe just last season?
Joselu, who left after playing a heroic role against Bayern Munich in last year’s semi-finals, may not have had the same star power, but his absence was definitely felt in these big moments.
Eyes Still on Silverware
Even with their Champions League dream over, Real Madrid aren’t done for the season.
They’re still in the hunt for LaLiga, sitting four points behind Barcelona, and they’ve got a massive Copa del Rey final coming up against their fierce rivals.
Plus, the newly-expanded Club World Cup looms this summer.
Courtois urged his teammates to refocus and finish strong: “We’ve got to look at what we can do better.
There’s still a lot of season left — the League, the Cup, and the Club World Cup.
We’re grateful to the fans, and hopefully we can bring them something to celebrate.”