Real Madrid captain Lucas Vazquez’s post-match interview was bursting with sour grapes after the Spanish giants were out-played in successive legs by Arsenal, who secured a 5-1 aggregate win
Lucas Vazquez has insisted Arsenal “did almost nothing” in the first half at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. The Gunners moved into the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with a 2-1 win over Real Madrid which sealed an emphatic 5-1 aggregate victory as they played the Spanish giants at their own game.
Arriving in Madrid with a 3-0 advantage thanks to Declan Rice’s free-kicks and Mikel Merino’s finish, Mikel Arteta ’s side set out to dampen the atmosphere inside the Bernabeu. They ensured a quiet opening 45 minutes aside from two penalty decisions.
One saw a missed penalty for Bukayo Saka, who had his dink saved by Thibaut Courtois, while the other saw a Real spot-kick overturned following a lengthy VAR check after Kylian Mbappe went down under contact from Rice.
Saka made up for his miss in the second half by chipping Courtois from Rice’s neat pass, and although Vinicius Junior grabbed a goal back after a mistake by William Saliba, Real never stirred. Gabriel Martinelli ensured victory in both legs for Arsenal when he raced clear of the defence in the 93rd minute and coolly slotted into the corner.
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Rice described it as an “historic night for the club” in his post-match interview and hailed Arsenal’s discipline and mentality. But Real veteran Vazquez, who captained the side of much of the night, had a very different take.
“It’s a difficult moment. I think we tried today. It was a complicated match. We didn’t have all the chances we would have liked,” he told Movistar +. “We didn’t lose sight of the goal. There were interruptions [but] it didn’t happen.”
“Maybe we lacked more clarity. More patience,” he added. “They came to defend, to play their role. In the first half, they did almost nothing. In the second, with the team pressing, they found the victory.”
He finished with a promise to the fans: “Thank you for the atmosphere you created. Real Madrid will always return. Not everything is lost. There is a lot of season left. The team is united and eager to achieve what’s left.”
Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals after the French side got past Aston Villa and Arteta was beaming in his press conference. Asked if he’d ever been prouder of his players, he replied: “Probably not. Not only because we’re in the semi-final for the third time in our history now, but also because of the way we did it.
“Not only because of the way we played, but also because of the circumstances, the amount of injuries we had. That shows the character of this team, of this club, and it’s a night to be very proud of.”
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