The referee awarded a penalty for a foul against Mbappé, while he booked Rice and VAR reviewed the play. Vinicius Jr. fell in the area and requested a penalty, but the referee conceded nothing. Real Madrid attacked in search of opening the scoring, but failed to convert their plays. From Bellingham to Rodrygo and then to Vinicius, the Madrid players tried to break through the 'Gunners' defense.
Saka missed a penalty against Courtois, who donned the hero's cape in that action. In the 11th minute, Asencio received the second yellow card of the match, and a penalty was awarded to Arsenal for a foul by Raúl Asencio on Mikel Merino. Vinicius Jr. stole a ball near the area, took advantage of a defensive mistake, and scored the 1-4.
In other moments, Saka hit the post with a shot, Madrid pressed Arsenal, and Mbappé scored a goal that was ruled offside. Before the match, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Leo Beenhakker and Mario Vargas Llosa. The match started at 1:00 PM at the Santiago Bernabéu.
In the return leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2025, Real Madrid seeks to overturn the deficit against Arsenal. In the first leg, Arsenal won 3-0 with goals from Rice and Merino. Now, in the return leg, Bellingham, Mbappé, and the Madrid team seek to change the course of the tie. Courtois was highlighted for his interventions.
During the game, there were moments of tension, struggles, and missed opportunities from both teams. Arsenal defended with ten players and Madrid pressed in search of the goal. Both teams tried to tip the balance on the scoreboard, but the effectiveness was not on either side. The atmosphere heated up with some controversial plays.
