After defeat against Valencia, Carlo Ancelotti touches upon how Real Madrid will approach Arsenal clash

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti shared a sneak peek of his gameplan for the upcoming UEFA Champions League clash with Arsenal after losing 2-1 at home to Valencia in La Liga on Saturday (April 5).

The visitors drew first blood at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Mouctar Diakhaby putting Los Ches in front after 15 minutes. Los Blancos, though, hit back after the break, with Vinicius Junior restoring parity for his side five minutes into the second period.

However, in a dramatic end to the game, Hugo Duro bagged a 95th-minute winner to stun the Bernabeu, potentially leaving Los Blancos trailing leaders Barcelona by six points at the end of the weekend.

There’s little time to dwell on the loss, though, as Madrid turn their attention to their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg trip to the Emirates on Tuesday (April 8). Ancelotti said about his side’s potential gameplan for the game (as per Madrid Xtra).

“We will play a different game vs Arsenal. They will attack more.”

It’s pertinent to note that, like Los Blancos, the Gunners are also second in their league. Mikel Arteta’s side dropped points in a 1-1 Premier League draw at Everton at the weekend despite opening the scoring. They are now 11 points adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

What happened the last time Real Madrid visited Arsenal?

Real Madrid won’t have particularly happy memories from their last clash with Arsenal. In their only previous meeting in the UEFA Champions League – in the 2005-06 Round of 16 – Los Blancos drew goalless in north London to get knocked out.

In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu a week ago, Thierry Henry’s second-half strike had proved to be the difference between the two sides, leaving Madrid needing to score two unanswered goals in the return to go through.

As things transpired, the two sides played out a goalless stalemate at the Gunners’ then home of Highbury. Arsene Wenger’s side would go on to reach the final, where they opened the scoring at the Stade de France, Paris, against Barcelona before going down 2-1.

It remains Arsenal’s best run in the competition. Meanwhile, Los Blancos have won the Champions League six times since then, including a historic three-peat between 2016 and 2018. Their last success in the competition – in 2024 – came as a part of a La Liga-Champions League double.

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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