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Real Madrid needs another comeback for the ages to advance in the Champions League

Posted 4/16/25

Real Madrid is a team known and feared for producing epic Champions League comebacks. It needs to deliver its biggest one yet to keep its title defense alive. The record 15-time European champions …

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Real Madrid needs another comeback for the ages to advance in the Champions League

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MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid, a team known and feared for producing epic Champions League comebacks, needs to deliver its biggest one yet to keep its title defense alive on Wednesday.

The record 15-time European champions are staring at a 3-0 deficit to Arsenal heading into the second leg of the quarterfinals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

A semifinal matchup with Paris Saint-Germain awaits the winner and Arsenal is the big favorite to advance, mainly thanks to a pair of stunning direct free kicks from Declan Rice in the first leg in London last week.

Only four times has a home team erased a first-leg deficit of three goals or more in the Champions League era, according to UEFA.

Never count out Madrid, though. Especially in a competition the Spanish club has made its own.

It was in the atmospheric Bernabeu that Madrid scored goals in the 90th and 91st minutes — both by Rodrygo — to force extra time before completing an extraordinary come-from-behind win over Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals in 2022. In that same season, Madrid had already fought back from a first-leg deficit to oust PSG in the round of 16 and scored two late goals at home to see off Chelsea in the quarterfinals.

The team has won 18 of its last 23 home matches in the Champions League, UEFA says, and needs to use the power of the Bernabeu again against Arsenal — the team with the best defense in English soccer.

The Gunners haven't lost by a three-goal margin in nearly three years and are looking to seal their first semifinal appearance in the Champions League since 2009.

Inter Milan protects lead

In Wednesday's other second leg, Inter Milan protects a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich.

The Italian champions are looking to reach the semifinals for just the second time since winning the Champions League in 2010, when they beat Bayern in the final.

The winner will meet Barcelona in the semifinals.

Bayern has history on its side, having beaten Inter in all four of their meetings at San Siro.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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