Real Madrid embarrasses Arsenal and exposes major defensive disaster | OneFootball

Real Madrid made the trip to Arsenal in search of sending a message in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals. Under difficult conditions, the Spanish visitors proved more efficient and secured the victory by 2-0, with the English guests having to battle their way to the second leg at Emirates Stadium.

With Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo's forwards, the Madridistas showed composure and took advantage of the mistakes made by their opponent to go into an important lead. Arsenal, on the other hand, had moments of pressure and control but lacked quality shooting, something that eventually cost them.

Efficiency vs. wastefulness

From the initial whistle, it was clear that the lashing rain and soggy surface would determine the outcome of the game. In such games, the winning team is not necessarily the team that wins more possession or with higher attacking urgency, but the team that maximizes the chances it receives — exactly what Real Madrid did.

Whereas the Spanish team took only a few pivotal seconds to turn pressure into goals, the English team wasted opportunities and struggled against Madrid's compact defense. Blackstenius even attempted to try out goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez in the first half, but the Madrid goalkeeper made a brilliant save.

In contrast, a defensive mistake was the only thing needed for Linda Caicedo to net for Real Madrid. The Colombian teenager took advantage of a marking error, was played in by a perfectly weighted pass from Bruun, and clinically slotted it past Zinsberger with no other choice. A goal not only which gave Madrid the upper hand but also unsettled Arsenal on the psychological level, making it harder for them to reply.

English pressure, Spanish composure

The Gunners then initiated a comeback during the second half with an attacking style of play. The substitution of Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord provided more pace to the attack, and the team started pressing near Real Madrid's box more frequently. The game was headed for a draw, especially when Emily Fox had dangerous plays and Beth Mead was denied a goal.

But if there is an old soccer saying that always rings true, it's this: "If you don't score, you get scored on." And this game was living proof of that. Arsenal kept going forward, but Real Madrid defended magnificently, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to counterattack. And that moment came in the 82nd minute, courtesy of Athenea del Castillo, who had just entered the field. With a quick and precise shot from outside the box, she sealed the 2-0 victory.

What to watch out for in the second leg at Emirates Stadium

With a 2-0 aggregate lead, Arsenal now needs a comeback to stay in the competition. They host the match and will need to be more incisive and clinical in front of goal, which they were not in the first game. They also need to tighten up their defense, as two goals were conceded through costly mistakes, particularly by Williamson.

The only silver lining for the Gunners is that they would be facing their home crowd at the second leg, which might provide them with the much-needed psychological boost. Real Madrid has already demonstrated that they can defend rigidly and capitalize on the errors of the opponent. If they maintain their tactical discipline and keep their cool, they have every ingredient in their hand to hold on to the lead and make it to the semifinals.

If Arsenal are to turn things around, they'll have to do something they failed to do in the first match: turn possession and attacking play into goals. The clock will be their nightmare, and they'll have to score early enough to put pressure on Real Madrid.