Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid side bowed out of the Champions League with a performance that lacked fight, flair, and any of the magic fans have come to expect in Europe’s biggest competition.

Instead of mounting one of their trademark comebacks at the Bernabeu, Madrid looked flat and uninspired in a 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal, crashing out 5-1 on aggregate. For a side steeped in Champions League history, it was an uncharacteristically tame exit.

The evening had moments that could’ve shifted the narrative. Thibaut Courtois offered early hope with a penalty save to deny Bukayo Saka after VAR awarded a spot-kick. Later, it seemed Kylian Mbappe had earned Madrid a penalty of their own, but VAR intervened again, reversing the decision. Those were the only real turning points in a match that Arsenal controlled from start to finish.

Saka would eventually make up for his earlier miss, finishing off a lovely move with a delicate chip over Courtois. Vinicius Jr equalized soon after, capitalizing on a William Saliba error, but that was as good as it got for Madrid. The tie was long over, and so too, it seems, was their spirit.

Player Ratings:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (6/10): Heroic early save from the spot, but powerless for the goals. Otherwise had little to do.

Lucas Vazquez (5/10): Energetic but ineffective, struggled with quality and decision-making.

Raul Asencio (5/10): Unfortunate to concede a penalty. Lost his man for the opener.

Antonio Rudiger (6/10): Tough in the tackle but lacked composure.

David Alaba (4/10): Poor discipline, exposed repeatedly by Saka.

Midfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10): Physically strong but often caught out of position.

Federico Valverde (5/10): Tried to drive forward but couldn’t control the midfield.

Jude Bellingham (5/10): Fought hard, often isolated, unable to influence the game.

Attack

Rodrygo (5/10): Showed flashes but not enough end product.

Kylian Mbappe (4/10): Contained well by Arsenal’s defense, quiet night before injury.

Vinicius Jr (4/10): Scored, but looked far from his best — sloppy in possession and largely ineffective.

Subs & Manager

Fran Garcia (6/10): Added width but lacked defensive cover.

Dani Ceballos (5/10): Couldn’t find rhythm.

Endrick (6/10): Full of effort but little end result.

Luka Modric (N/A): Came on too late to make a difference.

Brahim Diaz (N/A): No time to influence the game.

Carlo Ancelotti (3/10): Tactically outclassed. Madrid lacked identity, structure, and urgency. The team looked lost — and that’s on the manager.

A brutal night in Europe, and perhaps a sign that big changes are on the horizon at the Bernabeu.