'A tragic night' - Spanish media tear into 'shipwrecked' Real Madrid after Arsenal defeat

Arsenal romped to a 3-0 home win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg on Tuesday night. Declan Rice netted a brace and Mikel Merino added another, capping a superb night for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s men have not yet booked their spot in the semi-finals, with Real Madrid always capable of a big comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it’s a step towards their first ever Champions League title, and the win was made all the more impressive by the absence of a striker or starting centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

It has been a terrible week for Real Madrid, who conceded a stoppage time winner at home to strugglers Valencia on Saturday, losing and slipping four points behind leaders Barcelona. Three days later, they were humbled by Arsenal and find their hopes of defending their Champions League title hanging by a thread.

It’s fair to say the Spanish media are not impressed by what they saw from Los Blancos on Tuesday night, and here we have rounded up a couple of verdicts from the Iberian nation as Real Madrid look to pick up the pieces from a disastrous evening.

‘The champions’ collapse’

A Marca report read: “The collapse was complete after Declan Rice's extraordinary strike, which opened the floodgates that dismantled the Real Madrid team. From then on, Madrid disappeared from the pitch, with no response on the pitch or on the bench, exacerbating all the symptoms they'd been displaying for weeks. No spark, no soul, no football. A tragic night, unbecoming of the European champion. Hard to believe in a miracle in eight days.

“The champions' collapse was resounding. It was clear on their faces. Ancelotti didn't help either, making substitutions sparingly. The Emirates cheered Arsenal's final runs, far superior. So much so that it's hard to imagine a comeback in just a week. Madrid's worst night in decades.”

‘Shipwrecked’

Mundo Deportivo columnist Manel Bruña wrote: “The Champions League has always been Real Madrid 's lifeline when things were going badly in LaLiga. Now, not even that can save Ancelotti 's team , which suffered a complete debacle in London. Yes, there's still the return leg at the Bernabéu, the stage for impossible comebacks, but seeing this team, you don't really believe that next Wednesday will be a historic night at the Bernabéu. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“Real Madrid held their own in the first half against Arsenal at the Emirates, but disappeared in the second. Rice 's goals , stunning free-kicks, sank a Madrid side that was shipwrecked by Merino's 3-0 lead. The Whites were nowhere to be seen, especially with Vinicius and Rodrygo . Something's wrong with both of them, especially Vinicius, who even seems afraid of dribbling.

“And Ancelotti? With Florentino Pérez in the Emirates box watching what Real Madrid did, the Italian coach is "touched," very "touched." He's not going to leave the Real Madrid dugout now or this April, when the team is playing for the Champions League and Copa del Rey, but I wouldn't bet on him staying next season.”

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