Julius OkorieEngland international and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham received standing ovation following his exploits despite Real Madrid’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the first leg, quarter-finals of the Champions league Tuesday at the Emirates.
Despite overwhelming verdicts that the Carlo Ancelotti tutored side performed below par at the Emirates, Bellingham was adjudged one the star performers of the encounter with the former Borussia Dortmund ace admitting that Madrid should indeed have done better, adding that the scoreline could have indeed been worst.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelBellingham commended Arsenal’s performance, particularly noting Declan Rice’s impressive contribution with two excellent free-kicks, along with Mikel Merino’s third goal
He stated, “We were not at our best, and Arsenal took full advantage of that. Although two of their goals were free-kicks, they could have scored more.”
Looking ahead, Bellingham emphasized the importance of the second leg, stating, “We still have the opportunity to turn this around, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
Madrid Bank On Second Leg Turn Around:
Despite worry among Madrid fans over the possibility of turning the table around at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe insists a comeback cannot be ruled out.
“The comeback is possible, of course,” he remarked, urging everyone to stay determined until the very end.
As Real Madrid prepare for their next match against Alaves in La Liga, the focus remains on regaining momentum and building a path toward success in the second leg of the Champions League.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who recovered from injury early enough for the battle of Emirates, expressed regret over a critical mistake he made in the painful defeat.
READ ALSO:Jude Bellingham Joins Exclusive Club Following Champions League Victory
The match remained goalless until the second half when Declan Rice broke the deadlock with a stunning free-kick. Rice expertly curled the ball around the four-man defensive wall that Courtois had assembled, placing it perfectly into the back of the net.
Thibaut Courtois Admits Underrating Rice:
In his post-match interview, Courtois took full responsibility for the crucial free-kick, acknowledging that his decision not to include an additional player in the wall ultimately cost his team. “I thought I had positioned the wall effectively,” Courtois told Movistar. “Normally, I would have put in an extra man to better defend against such situations.”
Reflecting on his decision, he added, “I take full responsibility for that moment. I underestimated Rice’s ability to get the right amount of curl on the shot.”
Courtois was also critical of the defensive lapses leading to the fouls that led to Arsenal’s goals. He noted, “The second goal was a fantastic strike, but we made unnecessary fouls when there was little danger. We need to be smarter in those situations.”
The Champions Leauge quarter-final clashes continue tonight with PSG up against Aston Villa at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
PSG Slugs It Out Tonight Against Aston Villa:
Despite suffering a rare home defeat in Paris, PSG ultimately prevailed in their last-16 contest with Liverpool, winning 4-1 on penalties after pulling off a second-leg success at Anfield to level the tie.
Beaten by Borussia Dortmund in last season’s semis – and Bayern Munich in the 2020 decider – PSG’s focus is now fixed on taking the final steps toward lifting the elusive Champions League trophy.
Villa’s Basque boss, Unai Emery, was in charge at Parc des Princes from 2016 to 2018, winning one league title and four domestic cups during his stay.
A proven master of knockout football, who has claimed 10 trophies as a manager so far, he more recently led the Birmingham club back into UEFA’s top competition for the first time in four decades, before compiling an impressive set of results in this season’s league phase.
Having seen off third-placed Nottingham Forest at the weekend, posting a seventh straight win across all competitions, the Villans are in with a good chance of qualifying for Europe again – and they also have an upcoming FA Cup semi-final to look forward to.
So, they are only two wins away from a first major domestic trophy for 29 years, as well as being one of just eight clubs still challenging for the Champions League.
However, Emery has won only two of 10 games against Luis Enrique to date – both on home turf – and their most famed meeting came during the 2016-17 campaign. On that occasion, Enrique’s Barcelona fought back from four goals down to eliminate Emery’s PSG with an incredible 6-1 victory in the second leg.
Furthermore, Aston Villa have yet to win a single European game in France, most recently losing to Lille in last year’s Conference League and then Monaco earlier this season. But, ever an underdog, Emery has rarely been deterred by such matters. PSG will certainly want to continue with the tradition and deny Villa every opportunity to smile tonight.
PSG indeed have no choice but to win to have a chance of progressing as the return leg will not be a tea party.
Also on parade tonight is Barcelona against Borussia Dortmund at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona.
Barcelona won their last Champions League tie, beating Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. After earning a 1-0 victory in the first leg, they ran out 3-1 victors in the return match at home. Raphinha netted a brace to lead the scoring in the second leg. They are unbeaten in their last 22 games in all competitions.
Dortmund won their last Champions League tie, beating Lille 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. After playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home, they ran out 2-1 victors in the return match. Emre Can and Maximilian Beier netted in the second-leg win.
The previous fixture between the clubs saw Barcelona triumph 3-2 in a Champions League league phase match at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in December. Ferran Torres led Barça with goals in the 75th and 85th minute. Raphinha also was on the scoresheet. Serhou Guirassy led Dortmund with two goals, netting in the 60th and 78th minute.
Barcelona have got the better of Dortmund of late, unbeaten in their last three matches. Dortmund are looking for their first win in games between the two teams since September 2019. Barça during that period have outscored Dortmund with six goals for and three against.
The hosts have scored in each of their 10 Champions League contests this season.
With four wins and just two losses on their travels in the competition, Dortmund boast a fine record in away matches this campaign. Barcelona stand a chance to earn a good victory at home and bother about consolidation away. Can they take that advantage or will Dortmund continue their excellent run away?
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
