'Have to throw everything in the bin' - Carlo Ancelotti pulls no punches after Real Madrid's defeat to 'better quality' Arsenal & concedes it will be 'very difficult' for Champions League holders to stage second-leg comeback

Declan Rice delivered a masterclass from dead-ball situations, scoring two sublime free-kicks that sent shockwaves through the Madrid camp. Mikel Merino added to the damage with a composed strike from the edge of the area, sealing a comprehensive 3-0 victory for the Gunners.

The Italian coach was brutally honest in his post-match assessment, acknowledging that Arsenal outclassed his team both tactically and technically.

"We have to throw everything in the bin," Ancelotti admitted. "It’s very difficult to recover… their quality is very high, so organised."

Madrid’s performance lacked the intensity and resilience the club is known for, especially on big European nights. While they often grow stronger in the final stages of matches, this time they failed to mount any serious response after falling behind.

"Normally this team raise their game towards the end of games," Ancelotti told reporters. "It was disappointing, it was poor. We have to be critical of ourselves here and do everything we can next week to recover."

Despite the heavy setback, history offers Real Madrid a lifeline. The Spanish giants have built a reputation for dramatic comebacks at the Santiago Bernabeu, with legendary turnarounds littered throughout their European history. One of the earliest examples dates back to the 1970s when they overturned a three-goal deficit against Derby County.

"The possibilities (of qualifying) are quite low, but we have to try 100%," Ancelotti continued. "We have to do all we can, it's an opportunity to show a response to a poor game. If you look at the game tonight, there is no possibility. But football changes. Nobody expected that Rice scores two goals from set pieces. In football, everything can happen. We need to believe, we need to have trust because, sometimes, a lot of time in the Bernabeu, it happened."

Real Madrid will need to be flawless in the second leg, which is set for April 16. Their task will not only be to shut down a vibrant Arsenal attack but to rediscover the clinical edge that was glaringly absent at the Emirates.