Real Madrid suffered a tough 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the first leg of the 2024 Champions League quarterfinals, a result that leaves the Madrid side on the brink of elimination. This setback equals their worst loss record in a single edition of the competition, which occurred in the 2000-01 season when the team suffered five defeats on the way to the semifinals. Despite the significant advantage held by the Londoners, Real Madrid has a history of epic comebacks, so all is not lost yet.

Real Madrid equals its worst defeat record in a Champions League

The defeat at Emirates Stadium marks the fifth loss for Real Madrid in this Champions League edition, equaling the negative record of the 2000-01 season. Back then, under Vicente del Bosque, the team faced several losses on their journey, including a 4-1 defeat against Spartak Moscow in the group stage and a home loss to Anderlecht in the final round of the second phase. In the first leg of the quarterfinals that season, Real Madrid also lost to Galatasaray, although they easily reversed the result at home. However, they were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the semifinals.

With Ancelotti at the helm, Real Madrid had never suffered as many defeats in a single Champions League season. The Italian manager, who has led the club to three titles in the competition, had previously recorded just one defeat in a season, as in his first year in charge (2014-15), where, after winning 3-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund, he lost 2-0 in the return leg with no significant impact. The following season, his team was eliminated by Juventus in the quarterfinals, with two losses in the competition.

The 2021-22 edition was the one in which Ancelotti lost the most matches in the Champions League, yet it ended up being the year of conquest. Despite losses to Sheriff Tiraspol and PSG, and struggles against Chelsea and Manchester City, Real Madrid won the title, clearly demonstrating their ability to come back in extreme situations. However, in the 2022-23 season, the team only suffered two defeats and was eliminated in the semifinals by Manchester City, who defeated them 4-0 in the second leg.

This year, Real Madrid has had an inconsistent start, losing to Lille, Milan, and Liverpool in the group stage, then losing in the second leg of the round of 16 against Atlético de Madrid. Now, with the 3-0 loss to Arsenal, Ancelotti's team finds itself in a very difficult situation and will have to turn things around once again if they want to stay in the Champions League race.

A comeback is a tradition for Real Madrid, but this time they will need a monumental effort to overcome the adverse result and show their resilience in Europe. Only time will tell if the club can salvage the tie and continue their pursuit of a 15th Champions League.