Arsenal’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter finals on Wednesday was one worthy of praise, and the Spanish press are not short of it today.
AS, Marca and Mundo Deportivo all have coverage of the game today as Arsenal progressed to the semi-finals of the competition with an impressive display at the Santiago Bernabeu.
AS kick things off by saying that Arsenal’s ‘organisational model’ simply deactivated Real Madrid, who could not find a way to really challenge the Gunners.
They say Arsenal were ‘never in danger’ after their superb performance in the first leg at the Emirates, the ‘colossal disaster’ for Real Madrid, set them up for this game.
Mikel Arteta’s side ‘managed time’ say the newspaper, who also recovered from that missed penalty by Bukayo Saka and never looked anything but comfortable. They ‘walled themselves excellently’ and even ‘felt more comfortable’ than the home side.
There is some accusations of time wasting but in reality, AS say it was just a masterful display from Arsenal who ‘did not panic’ before they ‘attacked the opponent’s nervous system’ and ‘calmly ended up in the semifinals.’
Marca are equally impressed, saying Madrid were powerless against an Arsenal side who ‘came together and solved the European champion’s problems with quality’. In other words, they were simply too good for Real Madrid to get past.
In fact, they say Arsenal began to ‘impose their order’ on Madrid and the Bernabeu, controlling possession in what they say was a ‘magnificent display’ all round from Mikel Arteta’s side.
Mundo Deportivo, meanwhile, argue that Arsenal were ‘underestimated at times’ but proved their worth in this performance.
They simply ‘made it difficult’ for Real Madrid and limited them to nothing going forward, ‘growing by the moments’ despite a hostile atmosphere and clear effort from the home side.
Their defence was ‘hard and firm’ and, despite that mistake from William Saliba, left Real Madrid with ‘more faith than arguments’. In simpler terms, they all believed but Arsenal gave them little to work with.
That made the task of recoverin from the 3-0 defeat at the Emirates too much and the Gunners progressed to the semi-finals, and deservedly so as far as the Spanish press are concerned.
