Real Madrid, after a heavy 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, needs a historic comeback in the second leg to stay in contention for their 16th title.

This task seems nearly impossible, but Real Madrid’s history is full of miraculous comebacks: from Derby County, Celtic, Anderlecht, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Inter Milan, Wolfsburg, Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City. These comebacks had two common traits: a squad filled with world-class talent and players with strong personalities who emotionally led the team in critical moments.

Names like Camacho, Juanito, Santillana, Pirri, Casemiro, Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Carvajal, and Cristiano Ronaldo were exceptional players with rebellious and determined spirits.

Emilio Butragueño recalls a memory from the comeback against Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup, where Real Madrid was devastated after a 3-0 loss in Belgium. But Camacho stormed into the dressing room with his boundless energy and assured everyone, “We will score four goals!” He even wrote “4-0” on the board and maintained this belief until matchday. The result? A 6-1 victory and qualification. Camacho was the undisputed leader of that team.

Now the question is: Does the current Real Madrid have such a leader to emotionally guide the team for a comeback against Arsenal?

The first name is Dani Carvajal, but he is injured and will be out until the end of the season. Leadership from the stands is not possible, though Carvajal will influence the training camp, as he did in the previous round against Atlético Madrid. In recent years, the departures of leaders like Ramos and Casemiro did not have much impact because the team’s talents filled the void. But this season, Ancelotti’s team has not shown the necessary authority on the pitch and now needs a commander.

The options are clear: Kylian Mbappé can lead with his goals, Jude Bellingham, who made critical comments after the London defeat, or Federico Valverde with his Uruguayan warrior spirit, who has often captained his national team.

The fans have spoken: In a social media poll by AS with around 11,000 votes, the question “Who is Real Madrid’s leader?” saw 46.2% choose Bellingham, 31.8% Valverde, 16.7% Mbappé, and only 5.4% Vinícius. This shows that fans believe more in the personality and emotional impact of Bellingham and Valverde than in the goals of Mbappé and Vinícius.

Real Madrid now needs a leader to guide the team toward another miracle at the Bernabéu on Wednesday.