Kylian Mbappe leading Real Madrid’s comeback charge against Arsenal

MADRID – Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid in search of Champions League glory, and he will be hoping to be on the right side of exactly the kind of magical night they need against Arsenal on April 16, if they are to progress to the semi-finals.

The Gunners lead 3-0 after dismantling the holders in London last week in the first leg of their quarter-final, leaving Real craving the sort of dramatic comeback the 15-time winners are renowned for.

Recovering from a three-goal defeat would be a step further than anything Los Blancos have managed so far.

But that is precisely why they lured Mbappe to the club, with the French superstar’s explosive edge giving Real hope of achieving what appears to be borderline impossible.

“Of course we can,” said Mbappe, on Real’s chances of going through, on April 8 after Arsenal’s stunning home win.

Declan Rice struck two sublime free kicks and Mikel Merino added a third goal to help Mikel Arteta’s side put one foot in the final four.

Arsenal will be fully aware the job is not yet complete, having seen Mbappe net a hat-trick in the play-off round against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in February to help Real eliminate the English Premier League side 6-3 on aggregate.

The striker was sent off for a wild challenge against Alaves in La Liga on April 13, but can make it up with a special performance at home against Arsenal.

Real scraped a 1-0 win and Mbappe played only 38 minutes before his dismissal, so he should be fresh for April 16.

Mbappe said his treble against City was exactly the kind of night he had been craving for.

“I’ve been dreaming of moments like this since I was a kid, to play for this club and to feel what it’s like on a big night at the Bernabeu. A lot of people have told me about it, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and I hope we’ll have many more,” said the Frenchman.

Mbappe has 33 goals in 49 games in all competitions this season, matching Real’s all-time top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally in his first season at the club.

The 26-year-old failed to lift the Champions League trophy during his seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, and in 2022, was on the sharp end of a spectacular Real comeback.

PSG led 1-0 from the last-16, first leg, with Mbappe on target, and he netted his second goal of the tie to give the French side the lead at the Bernabeu.

It sparked Real into life and a remarkable 17-minute Karim Benzema hat-trick turned the encounter around.

Real went on to make another stunning comeback on the way to lifting the trophy in 2022, beating City despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate in the final minutes of the semi-final, second leg to progress 6-5 in the end.

Perhaps their most important comeback came in the 2014 final against city rivals Atletico Madrid. Real trailed 1-0 until Sergio Ramos headed home in the 93rd minute to force extra time, which they won 4-1 to claim their 10th Champions League trophy.

They also overcame a 2-0 quarter-final, first-leg deficit against Wolfsburg in 2016, winning the second leg 3-0 with a Ronaldo hat-trick.

“At the Santiago Bernabeu, comebacks are always on everyone’s lips,” said Ronaldo then.

Real and comebacks have been synonymous since the 1980s, when winger Juanito was involved in several, including the Uefa Cup semi-finals in 1985.

The late Spaniard famously said: “90 minutes at the Bernabeu is a long time”, after Inter Milan won the first leg 2-0 in Italy before Real overturned the deficit 3-0 at home, on their way to the title.

Mbappe came to Madrid hoping to add to their rich history and Arsenal’s visit presents the ideal opportunity.

“We have to believe, we have to have confidence,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti last week. “Because sometimes, quite often at the Bernabeu, it happens.” AFP