Defeat against Valencia may have dented their title hopes, but it still takes courage to bet against Carlo Ancelotti’s side
At the end of Real Madrid’s 4-4 draw with Real Sociedad last week, Carlo Ancelotti was asked whether there had been any point at which he feared for their place in the Copa del Rey final. He had watched his team go 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 down, the game heading into extra time before Antonio Rüdiger’s goal after midnight finally gave them a 4-4 draw, allowing them to scrape through 5-4 on aggregate. But still he said no.
“Because,” he reasoned, “anything can happen here.” And that, you couldn’t help wondering, may be precisely the problem. One day, anything would not happen, and then what?
Written by Sid Lowe in Madrid
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/07/real-madrid-arsenal-champions-league-quarter-final under the title “Real Madrid get sharp wake-up call over their reliance on fine margins | Sid Lowe”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
