What’s La Remontada? Real Madrid’s quest for comeback against Arsenal

Real Madrid need to produce a sensational ‘La Remontada’ to defeat Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid have produced several incredible late comebacks in the Champions League knockouts.

All the talk in Madrid in recent days has been of ‘La Remontada’ as Real Madrid bid to create another European memory by downing Arsenal. The Gunners head to the Spanish capital with a 3-0 lead, but the locals believe a comeback can take place.

Recall that Declan Rice’s two stunning free-kicks and a nice finish from Mikel Merino gave Arsenal a commanding lead over the Champions League holders, who now face a huge uphill task on their own patch.

Earlier in the season, many fans saw Real as the favourites for the tournament, especially after they added Kylian Mbappe to an already winning team.

However the Premier League side showed they had more than enough to handle Los Blancos last week and are in a strong position as they bid to make the last four in Europe.

The gunners know the job is only half done though and if any side has consistently shown it can overcome the odds in the Champions League then it is Real – the team that has won the tournament in six of the last 11 years.

Some of those victories have included the most ‘miraculous’comebacks and Arsenal will be desperate to ensure they are not the fall guys in another epic story, that will be concluded at the Bernabeu one way or another.

What is ‘La Remontada’?

In Spanish it means ‘the comeback’ and in recent years Real have certainly had plenty to give them hope.

Jude Bellingham, who tasted Champions League success last year, had this to say on a comeback: “Remontada…[comeback] I’ve heard it about a million times this week, I’ve seen a million videos online.

“There’s not a lot you can do for Real Madrid in the Champions League that hasn’t already been done.

“Tomorrow is an opportunity for us to do something for the first time and that’s really important to us.

“It’s a weird environment these last few days. One of the worst results we could possibly imagine away and for some reason, everyone thinks it’s nailed on that we’ll come back.

“There’s a lot of trust in the talent. There’s an expectation from Real Madrid that when we get into these kind of holes we can come back, even if it’s a really tough one, a really difficult one.

“Just because the club has done it so many times, that’s what’s so impressive about the size of this club, and the expectations are obviously huge.”

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the competition five times as a manager, said he was “focused, with a very cool head”.

“It’s not my first night like this and I hope it will not be the last,” he said.

In the history of the Champions League only three teams have lost a first-leg by three goals or more, only to go on and lose the tie. The most remarkable example was when PSG beat Barcelona 4-0 in Paris, only to lose 6-1 at the Nou Camp with a goal in the final minute.

Barcelona have twice been on the receiving end, winning handsomely against Roma in 2018 and Liverpool in 2019, only to be knocked out. Back in 2004 AC Milan, then holders, beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-1, before losing the return leg in Spain 4-0.

The 15-time champions of Europe Real Madrid have a reputation for doing the impossible in recent Champions League campaigns.

Remember last year when Bayern Munich looked to be in control of their semi-final in Madrid, leading 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate with two minutes to play.

Joselu would score an equaliser and then produced the winner in stoppage time, but only after VAR had intervened to overturn the original disallowed goal. Two years prior to that and Manchester City were on the receiving end, this time it was Rodrygo who scored twice with the clock in the red in another epic semi-final.

On three out of the past four occasions where Real Madrid have trailed after the first leg in the Champions League, they have fought back to reach the next round – against Wolfsburg in 2015-26 and in 2021-22 against both Paris St-Germain and Manchester City.

But Arsenal can take belief from the fact that this is the joint-largest deficit Madrid have ever trailed by heading into a Champions League second leg.

The last time they faced such a task was against Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 semi-final, when Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win for Jurgen Klopp’s side in Germany.

Real did win the return match 2-0 in Madrid, but Dortmund progressed to the final on aggregate.

In fact, the only time they have fought back from three goals down after a first leg came in their last 16 meeting with Derby County in the 1975-76 edition of the European Cup, winning 6-5 on aggregate following a 4-1 defeat at the Baseball Ground.

A deficit of three goals or more has been overturned just four times since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1992.

One team have overturned a four goal-deficit – Barcelona in the game christened ‘La Remontada’ in 2016-17, when they beat PSG 6-1 at the Nou Camp.

“We know we’re strong at home with our fans. If we score one or two, quickly… I think it’s possible,” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

It is that ‘never say die’ attitude that has served Real so well over the years.

Stats company Opta gives Arsenal an 89.7% chance of progressing to the semi-finals, and Real have lost five games in the competition this season – a tally that equals a club record.