Alvaro Arbeloa, coach of Real Madrid, opened up after their home defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
Alvaro Arbeloa, manager of the "Los Blancos" Real Madrid, is confident his team will go on to beat the "Red Devils" Bayern Munich away and overturn the tie to reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals, despite their 1-2 home loss in the quarterfinal first leg last night. He also praised Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham for their strong performances in this match.
Arbeloa said, "This was a defeat we might have avoided in the second half if luck had been on our side. We faced a very strong team, and we knew that. We made two mistakes in passing the ball, which cost us possession—something we discussed both before the match and at halftime, and we agreed to avoid, especially being prepared to close down space quickly against a team like this. If you make such mistakes, you have to pay the price, and that’s what happened."
"Of course, we scored a goal that gave us hope, but unfortunately, we couldn't capitalize on the opportunities we had. It won’t be easy, but if any team can win in Munich, it has to be Real Madrid."
"We have shown that we can hurt them and score goals. We had enough chances to score at least one more goal. We will learn a lot from what happened and from their style of play. But with confidence in our players, anyone who doubts Madrid's chances of advancing can stay in Madrid, because we will go there to win."
Regarding Kylian Mbappe, "This is the Mbappe I want to see. He is committed in every aspect of the game. He is the best player in the world and a constant threat. Mbappe needs to be Mbappe every day."
Speaking about Jude Bellingham, who came on as a substitute in the second half, "He is a player who has been out a long time due to injury, not because I wanted to keep him on the bench. Everyone knows how much I believe in him. We have talked a lot about his gradual return to form. This is normal. I hope to rely on Bellingham for the full 90 minutes in every match since I became coach."
"He benefits us greatly because he can handle intense pressure from Bayern Munich, carry the ball forward, and beat opponents. I am very pleased with the energy he shows, his character, and his leadership spirit. I see that now he is in much better condition and will play an important role in the game in Munich."