UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Arteta feeding Arsenal stars ‘opposite’ of comeback message ahead of Real Madrid clash

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Carlo Ancelotti’s side is famed for its ability to forge stunning comebacks, particularly at home, but Mikel Arteta said he had tried to keep that narrative away from his squad.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said he has spent three days filling his players’ heads with messages of strength ahead of their Champions League showdown against Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Gunners hold a 3-0 lead on record 15-time winner and current holder Madrid going in to the return at the Santiago Bernabeu. Carlo Ancelotti’s side is famed for its ability to forge stunning comebacks, particularly at home, but Arteta said he had tried to keep that narrative away from his squad.

“We have tried to repeat the opposite message,” Arteta told a news conference Tuesday. “In the brain of the players, what they have done in the last 72 hours is something completely different. And we are very close to them, and hopefully that’s more powerful than anything else.



But you have to be there, you have to speak, you have to feel it, and you have to go through it,” he added. Arteta said Arsenal’s mindset would be key as it bids to reach the semifinal for the first time since 2009. ALSO READ | Ancelotti: Real Madrid counting on Bernabeu magic against Arsenal The coach said he would not use the word ‘fear’ going into the second leg, but that he had a healthy respect for Madrid’s achievements in Europe.

“I wouldn’t use that word...

I think (we have) respect and admiration for what they’ve done in the competition, as a club over the years, said Arteta. “(They’ve been) unbelievable, amazing, and (it’s) inspiration for the coach and the manager and the team,” he added. Arteta said Arsenal, which was defeated in its only Champions League final appearance against Barcelona in 2006, can stand up to the atmosphere in the Bernabeu.

“(We have) to be convinced that we can handle any situation, and we’re going to enjoy actually playing any kind of game that (comes) tomorrow,” he added. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya said his team has come to the Spanish capital to make its mark, rather than falling victim to the same old Madrid comeback story. “We are here to write our own history,” he told reporters.

“That is what we want to do and that is what we want to achieve tomorrow.” Both Arteta and Raya said Arsenal would be trying to win the match on Wednesday, despite already holding a three-goal lead. “The intention is to win the game.

We know how we played in the first game and we have to do the same (again),” explained Raya. Arteta confirmed Thomas Partey and Ben White are fit to play, but Jorginho will miss the game through injury. Comments Related stories Related Topics Mikel Arteta / UEFA Champions League 2024-25 / Arsenal / Real Madrid Latest on Sportstar.