Real Madrid hoped to overturn their heavy first-leg defeat against Arsenal and stage a historic comeback, but that did not happen last night, leading to their elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

Among the sharpest criticisms was that of Manu Carreno, who said: “Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, and today, apart from a few moments, this team had no brain, no heart, and no courage. None of the three things Carlo Ancelotti spoke about on Tuesday. None.

There was much talk about a comeback this week, but that comeback lasted from the moment the referee blew the final whistle in London until the moment the referee blew the starting whistle today. As soon as football entered the equation, the comeback was over. If the preparations for this match had taken a week longer, if there had been two weeks between the first and second legs instead of one, the comeback would have lasted two weeks. But as soon as the referee blew the whistle to start the match, the comeback was over.

This team has no soul, no spark, no personality, no leader, and no football. The issue isn’t that the Bernabéu, the fans, the gatherings, the sacred hearts… whatever you call them, didn’t do their job today. The problem was that the players didn’t deliver what the fans expected.

Kylian Mbappé was barely noticeable. He didn’t come to Real Madrid for this. Much more is expected of Kylian Mbappé. Vinícius Júnior tries but doesn’t succeed. He is far from his best form. The midfield is collapsing. This was a pre-written story for the season. Today, there is no miracle, no epic. Real Madrid has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.”