Real Madrid Faces Defeat at Emirates, Falling Short in Quarterfinals

After breaking a historical barrier with their first victory in a classic, Real Madrid hit another wall, the quarterfinals of the Women's Champions League, after Arsenal overturned a two-goal advantage with a decisive 3-0 at the Emirates, thanks to Alessia Russo's double and a goal from former Barça player Mariona Caldentey.

The Spanish team was just a step away from a historic place among Europe's top four teams, facing the complex task of defending their valuable 2-0 lead from the first leg at Di Stéfano. Alberto Toril took on the challenge at a football temple of the Old Continent with the electric Athenea del Castillo, scorer of the second goal in Madrid, replacing the injured Melanie Leupolz from the first leg, who fell victim to the challenging pitch conditions.

The 'gunner' dominance was evident from the start, as expected given the English need to overturn an adverse result. The team led by Renée Slegers was a different side compared to the one that struggled under the rain in Valdebebas, although María Méndez and Mäelle Lakrar led a white defense that contained the opposing attacks as best as they could, saved by Mariona's lack of precision in a header that went wide unchallenged.

The match dynamics, with Arsenal settled near the Madrid area, turned the duel into a true exercise of resistance. The London side accumulated vast amounts of ball possession, but failed to translate that territorial dominance into danger, aside from another header by Caitlin Foord, following a great service from Russo.

Real Madrid barely managed to stretch when, just before halftime, buoyed by the minutes ticking with their double advantage intact, a swift run by Athenea down the right wing allowed Angeldahl's shot, which was parried by Van Domselaar. The skillful Linda Caicedo doubled the white side's bet with a shot against the post, albeit from an offside position, and the match went to the break with positive feelings for the Spanish team.

That white optimism was shattered in an instant by Russo, who scored the 1-0 just after the second half began. The English forward finished at the far post a phenomenal cross from Kelly from the right flank, tightening a tie with only one goal advantage left for Real Madrid.

Toril's team, so solid in the first leg, crumbled like sugar after the first setback and panicked barely two minutes later, with another brilliant assist from Kelly and Mariona's header slipping through Misa's gloves.

Just three minutes into the second half and no trace of Madrid's precious lead, a situation that turned into a nightmare when, an hour into the game, Russo once again picked up a loose ball in the heart of the visitor's area and scored a stunning volley.

Despite the change of scenario, with Real Madrid forced to attack to level the tie, the white team barely threatened the English goal. On the contrary, each lateral cross from Arsenal continued to be a torment for the merengue defense, once again forced to bail out water to keep their team alive, avoiding capitulation with Russo's disallowed goal for offside.

Toril tried to change the course of the match with a triple offensive substitution and a corresponding system change, but Madrid was far from preventing the dominance from remaining English. Arsenal came close to a fourth on more than one occasion, although the score finally stayed at that 3-0, which Caicedo threatened in injury time but keeps Madrid's ceiling in the Champions League quarterfinals and sends the 'gunners' to the semifinals, where the powerful Olympique de Lyon awaits.