Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa spoke to the media after their 2-1 loss to Bayern on Tuesday night. He was asked about his first reaction to the defeat, to which he said: “With a bit more luck, we could have avoided the second half. We made two mistakes, losing possession, which we had discussed avoiding, and against these opponents, you pay for it. This goal gives us hope. If any team can win in Munich, it’s Real Madrid.”
Arbeloa on the game
“Well, we’re still in it. That’s clear. We’re one goal away from leveling
the tie. We’re capable of winning on any pitch, and we’ve shown that with the chances we’ve had. The opponent wasn’t going to be easy… and it’s a shame we didn’t score a few more.”
Arbeloa on how his team generated chances
“We were a bit more subdued than we wanted; that wasn’t the plan. Perhaps that gave them too much control. With the ball, we lacked moments of wanting it, of holding onto it. I know it’s easy to say that from the outside, but if you don’t hold onto it, you win a free kick, you put them under pressure… it’s very difficult. And in that respect, we improved in the second half.
“We knew one goal would keep us in the tie, that we shouldn’t get carried away. Because even at 1-2, we had moments where we took too many risks, because 1-3 would have made everything much more difficult. Now we’re still in it and very hopeful of playing a great game there, because Real Madrid can win on any pitch.”
Arbeloa on ball retention
“We talked a lot about how, when we started playing the ball out from the back, we had to be very careful about losing possession. We talked about it a lot before and at halftime. And before we even had time to sit down, they made it 0-2, which was a real blow. But the team showed character. The goals came from turnovers, not organized attacks. But we’re left with the feeling that we could have scored a few more and that we’re going to Munich to win the game.”
Arbeloa on Aurelien Tchouameni’s replacement for the second leg
“There are guarantee options. I don’t know what the referee saw, but I also don’t know what he saw in that play that was a red card for the tackle on Mbappé…”
Arbeloa on ‘wanting the ball’
“At halftime we talked about how, in situations where there are no fresh legs, you have to give options to the player in possession. Break out of the cycle of constantly defending. We need to rest with the ball. We need people to ask for it. We did better in the second half and that’s why we improved.”
Arbeloa on what he is clinging to
“To my players. At 1-2, sometimes the desire to tie means you have to keep a cool head, but I admire my players’ ambition. I’m confident we can go there and win.”
Arbeloa on Jude Bellingham
“Earning a starting spot isn’t a right, it’s not that I want to leave him out, it’s just that he’s been out for a long time with the injury, I’m not being suspicious about that. I hope I can play with Jude for the full 90 minutes in every game. He’s given us a lot, because he relieved the pressure from Bayern, happy with the match, I see him much better, he’ll help us a lot in Munich.”
Arbeloa on whether Manuel Neuer being called Bayern’s MVP
“I don’t know if it’s the best news, but it shows we can hurt them. We’re going to learn a lot from this tie; we haven’t had as much time to prepare for it. They’ve come here more cohesive as a team, they’ve been together longer. Anyone who doesn’t believe that should stay in Madrid. I have players with a lot of personality, and the first thing they said in the locker room was that we’re going to win there.”
Arbeloa on Kylian Mbappé
“Highly committed, a constant threat, this is the Mbappé we want to see, an Mbappé who wants to be Mbappé every day.”
Arbeloa on Alvaro Carreras’ duel with Michael Olise
“He was up against one of the best in the world; it’s not easy to face a player like that. My confidence in Álvaro remains intact; he’ll learn from today’s match. Those of us who have played there as full-backs know this, because he can come in from the inside or the outside; it’s difficult, but Álvaro is a player for both the future and the present.”
