Captain of Real Madrid this Wednesday in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, Lucas Vázquez spoke candidly to UEFA’s microphone after his team’s 2-1 defeat at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid did not produce the much-hoped-for miracle. After a heavy 3-0 defeat last week in England, Carlo Ancelotti’s team was expected to put on a spectacular performance to overturn Arsenal this Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu. Despite the presence of loud home supporters, Kylian Mbappé and Raúl Asencio failed to impress. Unexpectedly deployed at right-back, Lucas Vázquez delivered an average performance.
“They practically did nothing”
Substituted early in the match to make way for young Endrick, the 33-year-old full-back watched his team’s elimination from the bench. Interviewed at the final whistle, Lucas Vázquez surprised many by suggesting that Mikel Arteta’s side had done nothing particularly special, especially in the first half.
“It was a tough match. We didn’t have all the chances we would have liked. There were moments when the balance tilted in our favour, but today that wasn’t the case. We lacked clarity on the ball, patience, etc… In the first half, they practically did nothing. In the second, with our team pushing forward, they found that victory,” Vázquez told UEFA’s official channel, before promising to come back stronger next season.
“When we win, we’re all responsible, and when we lose, it’s the same. We always give our all. We never hide. Very grateful for the atmosphere in the stadium. Real Madrid will always come back. There’s still a lot of the season to play. The team is united, in good shape and determined to go for what remains.”
In any case, for modern football observers, Arsenal did everything right to knock out Real. Across both legs, Carlo Ancelotti’s team showed nothing of real quality. Proof being: they conceded five goals and scored only one – and that came from a careless mistake by William Saliba. It’s now time for reconstruction at Real Madrid.
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