Arsenal, Real Madrid's Natural Kryptonite

MADRID, THURSDAY — The universe designs everything in the world to have its own natural enemy. Just like the kryptonite stone that is the weakness of the fictional character Superman, Real Madrid also has its natural enemy in the form of Arsenal. The undeniable evidence was presented in Arsenal's 2-1 victory during the second meeting of the UEFA Champions League semifinals at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Thursday (17/4/2025) early morning WIB.

Real may take pride in their achievement of 15 Champions League trophies, which signifies them as the most successful club in Europe. However, that collection of trophies pales in comparison to Arsenal. Throughout its history, Real has only faced Arsenal three times. In those three matches, Real has yet to secure a victory.

Real's minor results against Arsenal continue. Shadowed by the magical terror of Bernabeu, the "London Cannons" smoothly advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League thanks to a 5-1 aggregate victory over Real. After silencing Real with a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in the first meeting, Real was touted to be capable of achieving a remontada or comeback at Bernabeu. All of that turned out to be nothing but a myth.

The factors driving the discourse of remontada resonate when reflecting on Real's fighting spirit in overcoming Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the previous rounds. If City and Atletico could be defeated, achieving the same against Arsenal is perceived as not impossible. However, the analysis on paper does not apply to Arsenal.

Arteta's cool hand played a central role in Arsenal's success in holding off Real's comeback. Winning the battle in midfield was key.

From the beginning of the match, Real struggled to penetrate Arsenal's defense due to the midfield led by Declan Rice, which was very solid in protecting Arsenal's four defenders. Rice was also assisted by Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard, who actively contributed to the midfield.

Thanks to the combination of those four players in midfield, Real's midfielders ran out of ideas in building attacks. As a result, Real's players tended to rely on crosses to threaten Arsenal's defense. Statistics recorded that Real made 23 crosses in just the first half. This number is the highest for Real in the first half of the season. Rice and Partey made every effort to ensure that the passes from Real's midfielders did not reach their targets perfectly.

"Perhaps we lacked clarity when in possession of the ball. Maybe we could have been more patient in transferring the ball from one side to the other and applied more pressure on Arsenal. They were truly very organized in their defense," said Real captain, Lucas Vazquez.

Not a single shot on target from Real was recorded in the first half. The creativity of Jude Bellingham, who played as an attacking midfielder, was stifled. The only moment that caused Real supporters to erupt in the first half was when Kylian Mbappe was fouled by Declan Rice inside the Arsenal penalty area. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot and issued a yellow card to Rice. However, after reviewing the replay, referee Francois Letexier overturned his decision.

Real's performance in this match was different from Arsenal's effective display. Although solid and organized in defense, Arsenal was still able to threaten Real's defense. A golden opportunity arose for Arsenal when Merino was brought down by Raul Asencio in the penalty area. However, Bukayo Saka, who was the executor, failed to carry out his duty. Real's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, stated that his success in stopping Saka's penalty temporarily boosted the confidence of his teammates that a comeback was still possible.

"When you are awarded a penalty but manage to save it, the belief that you can do it grows. I think at the beginning of the match we created a little danger. The supporters really motivated us. However, Arsenal is a very organized team and defends well. Their wingers and forwards work hard," said Courtois.

Saka then redeemed his penalty failure by scoring the opening goal of Arsenal's victory in the 65th minute. The combination of Odegaard and Merino drew two Real pivots, Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni, creating a passing lane. Merino delivered a low pass that Saka was able to capitalize on.

Arsenal's advantage did not last long. Vinicius Junior made the entire Bernabeu roar with his goal two minutes later. The Brazilian national team player took advantage of William Saliba's lapse in controlling the ball.

The need to continuously pressure Arsenal brought disaster for Real. The transition moment from attacking to defending did not go smoothly towards the end of the match. Gabriel Martinelli, who won the sprint duel against Fran Garcia, took advantage of the open space in Real's defense from that momentum to secure Arsenal's victory.

"There has been much discussion here about (Real) rising again, as they have done many times before. But we have great belief and confidence since the first match to come here and win the game. We know we will suffer, but we also know we will win. We kept it in our minds, and now we have made it a reality," said Rice.

Thanks to this victory, Arsenal has reached their third Champions League semifinal. In the semifinal, Mikel Arteta's squad will face Paris Saint-Germain, who previously eliminated Aston Villa. (REUTERS)