Ancelotti: Real Madrid will fight at the Bernabéu

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted his team's chances of qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals are slim after their crushing 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. Despite the heavy defeat, Ancelotti warned that the team can still demonstrate its strength at the Santiago Bernabéu next week. Declan Rice scored two stunning free kicks, while Mikel Merino added a stunning goal, putting Real Madrid in a very difficult position ahead of the second leg. The Italian coach explained that the team was not at its best throughout the match, as they did not pose a real threat to Arsenal's goal, while the defense appeared confused and weak, despite the team's previous successes. Ancelotti told the press after the match: "The team usually improves towards the end of matches. The performance was disappointing and bad. We must criticize ourselves and do our best next week to come back." The Italian coach added that it is clear that the team needs to improve significantly if they are to have any chance of qualifying. Despite the difficult circumstances, Ancelotti stressed that Real Madrid has a long history of coming back in matches, especially at home at the Santiago Bernabéu, where the team overturned a three-goal deficit in the first leg of the Champions League against Derby County nearly 50 years ago. Despite his doubts about the team's chances, Ancelotti warned Arsenal that the encounter is not over yet, saying: "Our chances of qualifying are very slim, but we have to do our best. It's an opportunity to show a strong reaction after a bad game. If you watch the game, there will be no chance (of a comeback), but football changes. No one expected Rice to score two goals from two free kicks." He added: "Anything is possible in football. We have to be confident because it has happened many times at the Bernabéu."