Arsenal take a 3-0 lead to Madrid as they prepare for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with holders Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham has warned Real Madrid are so used to making comebacks that everyone thinks it is “nailed on” they will overcome Arsenal. Bellingham says the never-say-die spirit in the dressing room is “infectious” because of their remarkable history of great fight backs.
Real Madrid, the 15 time European champions, are still big underdogs after Arsenal’s swashbuckling 3-0 win at the Emirates last week. The Spanish giants were completely outplayed and Arsenal could have won more comfortably but Real Madrid never believe they are beaten when it comes to the Champions League.
England star Bellingham said: “I did say that to someone the other day. It is a weird environment. The last few days it is one of the worst results we could possibly imagine. For some reason everyone thinks it is nailed on we will come back.
“There is an expectation from around the world that when we get into these kind of holes that we can come back even if it is a really tough one and a really difficult one. I think probably in England it is not as common but it has happened as well.
“It is just because the club have done it so many times and that is what is so impressive about the size of this club. The expectation is obviously huge.
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“But it is a nice feeling. It means there is a lot of trust in the talent. It means you are at a club that has put a lot of effort in and it is infectious. That is what it represents and signifies to me.
“There is a pressure that comes along with that for sure. We want to deliver on what everyone thinks that we can come back. That is obviously the goal for us. There is a pressure about it. That is what it is all about.”
They are famed for their comebacks but even Madrid have never come back from losing a first leg 3-0 in the knockout. But rather than be intimidated, Bellingham says that will be extra motivation.
Bellingham said: ”It is something that you want to be a part of, it is something that you want to add to the history of this club. There is not a lot you can do for Real Madrid in the Champions League that has not already been done. Tomorrow is an opportunity for us to do something that has not been done for the first time and that is really important to us.”
Bellingham spoke eloquently and with real belief about just how much Real Madrid back themselves to overturn the 3-0 first leg defeat. Spanish paper Marca even ran a front page headline “Remontada” – literally translated means reassembled but it is fair to say they are pleading for a comeback – and Bellingham says that has been the buzz word in the dressing room.
Bellingham admitted they were not good enough at the Emirates – but that will only drive them on to ensure they are better in the return. He added: “There probably wasn’t one aspect of our game that was above the standard we expect from ourselves. We are not afraid to say something like that. It is very normal that when you lose a game you review the game honestly.
“We know we can play a lot better, we know we can do a lot of things a lot better. That is what we want to show tomorrow. It is one thing to lose but it is another thing to not learn. That is something we will have to learn.
“I think what makes us confident is the quality we have, the history of the club, the fans that will turn up and give everything on the night, the aura of the Bernabeu and these Champions League nights, that is always something.”
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