Arsenal Crushed by Real Madrid, but the Pitch is Taking the Heat
Ian Wright went off on the Madrid pitch after a key Arsenal player got a bad knee injury during the game. The Arsenal legend didn’t hold back, calling Real Madrid’s field a f***ing disgrace. To add insult to injury, the Gunners lost 2-0 in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final. Pitch Criticized as Arsenal Lose to Real Madrid.
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Even though Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo scored, everyone was talking about how bad the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano pitch was. People said it was rough and slick, making it hard to pass the ball, and the rain made it even worse. Now, Arsenal has a tough job ahead of them in the second leg at the Emirates, where they’ll have to make up a two-goal difference in front of their own fans.
Is the Terrible Pitch a Safety Hazard?
Before the game even started, the field condition was a huge issue. Lots of people thought it wasn’t good enough for even a casual game, never mind a big Champions League quarter-final. This was Arsenal’s fourth loss in 23 games with manager Renee Slegers, who stepped up after Jonas Eidevall left out of the blue. Pitch Criticized as Arsenal Lose to Real Madrid.
Since Arsenal is out of the FA Cup and League Cup, and their chances for the Women’s Super League title are getting slim, Europe was their last shot at winning something big this year. But the terrible field conditions made things tough right from the start.
One of the scariest moments was when Real Madrid’s Melanie Leupolz, who’s won tons of trophies playing for Chelsea and Bayern Munich, seemed to get a really bad knee injury. Other players were having a hard time too, constantly slipping and losing their footing on the awful surface.
Sound Familiar? Other Pitch Problems
This whole mess is similar to what happened in the League Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea. Players like Sonia Bompastor, Erin Cuthbert, and Vivianne Miedema had already complained about how bad that pitch was, saying that male players would never be forced to play in those conditions. Pitch Criticized as Arsenal Lose to Real Madrid.
Ian Wright is just as annoyed, blasting the people in charge and demanding better playing conditions for women’s soccer. In a video online, he said, This Real Madrid pitch is worse than the Derby (Pride Park), it’s a f*ing disgrace, the pitches these girls have to play on.
A bunch of fans online agreed, with some saying the game should have been called off because the pitch was so bad.
Arsenal’s Possession Doesn’t Pay Off
Despite the tough circumstances, Arsenal came out strong. Alessia Russo made a great play and created a good scoring opportunity for the Gunners after about 20 minutes. But then, disaster struck when the wet field messed with the ball’s movement, leading to Real Madrid’s first goal.
Leah Williamson slipped, Linda Caicedo took off, held off Emily Fox, and scored on Manu Zinsberger. Arsenal probably missed their normal goalie, Daphne van Domselaar, who couldn’t play because of a concussion.
Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius both had chances to score before halftime, but couldn’t get it done. At halftime, Slegers switched things up, bringing in Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord to replace Mead and Blackstenius.
Real Madrid Gets the Job Done
Arsenal had the ball a lot and tried to attack on the wings, but that didn’t really work on the bumpy field. They won 10 corners and took 13 shots, while Real Madrid only took five, but the Spanish team scored when they needed to.
When Arsenal tried to tie the game, gaps started opening up between their midfield and defense. Real Madrid took advantage, with del Castillo scoring with a hard shot that Zinsberger could only push into the far corner, making it 2-0.
Uphill Battle in the Next Game
Now, Real Madrid is heading into the second leg with a big advantage. They’ve never made it past the quarter-final stage, so they’re going to do everything they can to protect their lead and make history. Meanwhile, Arsenal needs to regroup and use their home field at the Emirates to their advantage, where the pitch should be much better.
With their hopes for a European title hanging in the balance, the Gunners need to play way better if they want to overcome the deficit and stay in the running for a trophy.
