In the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, Arsenal faced a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on March 18, 2025. Despite this setback, Arsenal's head coach, Renee Slegers, urged her players and fans to remain optimistic ahead of the return leg at their home ground, Emirates Stadium, slated for March 27, 2025.
Slegers expressed her belief that the tie was only at halftime, emphasizing the potential for Arsenal to turn the game around. "It’s only half-time. It’s 2-0 to Real Madrid at the moment but we’re going to play against them again at the Emirates and we’ll have to believe that we can score two goals with the fans behind us," Slegers stated on the official club website.
Thanks to the unwavering support from the fans at the Bernabéu, Slegers was optimistic about the upcoming match, remarking, "We heard the fans the whole game here as well today, so thanks for that. Thanks for the support and we always know that they will bring us that extra edge, that extra energy when we play at home with all the fans behind us so I’m looking forward to that."
Arsenal had topped Group C in the tournament, finishing ahead of Bayern Munich by two points, but must now win at home to avoid elimination. Slegers acknowledged the uphill battle her team faces but highlighted that their performance in Madrid might not accurately reflect the match's tight nature.
"It was quite an even game. We knew beforehand that it was going to be a battle between two well-organised teams. I think Real Madrid got maximum reward for what they created and what their game plan was today, so credit to them," she commented. Slegers emphasized the importance of fine-tuning their tactics and claims that the defeat reflects areas needing improvement rather than a failure on their part.
"I don’t believe in bad luck, so I think it’s about the details that we need to do better. So, what kind of attacks do we create, how do we position without the ball," she said. The coach also mentioned the importance of engaging key learnings from the game, noting that, "the season hasn’t been perfect all the way, we have been dealing with things along the way and I think that’s part of sport and that’s what makes great athletes and great teams. Teams that can come back and want to get better."
The winner of the ongoing tie will advance to the semi-finals, facing either Lyon or Bayern Munich. Slegers remarked that the team has several opportunities to harness their potential fully in the upcoming match. They remain focused on their immediate challenge, with their next game being a home fixture against Liverpool in the Women's Super League on March 22, 2025.
Despite the loss in Madrid, Arsenal's spirit remains unshaken as they look ahead to their return fixture with the hopes of turning the aggregate score around, fuelled by the passion of their supporters.
