DE Online Desk:
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid with dreams of Champions League glory—and on Wednesday night, he’ll hope to script the kind of magical moment that defines the club’s storied European legacy.
The French superstar will be at the heart of Real Madrid’s bid to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final showdown at Santiago Bernabeu.
The Gunners delivered a clinical performance in London last week, dismantling the defending champions and putting one foot firmly in the semi-finals.
A comeback of this magnitude would be unprecedented even for a club with Real Madrid’s reputation for drama and defiance on Europe’s biggest stage.
But it is exactly the kind of moment Mbappe was signed for—his explosive talent offering a flicker of hope where most would see none.
“Of course we can,” Mbappe reportedly said while boarding the team bus after last week’s defeat at the Emirates, echoing the self-belief that has long defined Los Blancos.Arsenal, however, will be wary of complacency.
Declan Rice’s two stunning free-kicks and a goal from Mikel Merino secured the commanding lead, but they know the tie isn’t over—especially against a side led by a player like Mbappe.
Earlier this season, Mbappe lit up the Bernabeu with a sensational hat-trick against Manchester City, eliminating the Premier League champions 6-3 on aggregate in the play-off round.
That performance was a reminder of the kind of firepower he brings—and what he is capable of on European nights.Although he saw red in Sunday’s LaLiga clash against Alaves after just 38 minutes, Real Madrid still scraped a 1-0 win and Mbappe remains fresh and fired up for Wednesday’s must-win encounter.
With 33 goals in 49 appearances this season, Mbappe has matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut-season tally at the club.
He’s still chasing his first Champions League crown, having come close during his seven years at Paris Saint-Germain—only to fall short time and again, including a painful exit at the hands of Real Madrid in 2022.
That year, he scored in both legs of the round of 16, giving PSG a 2-0 aggregate lead before a legendary Karim Benzema hat-trick within 17 minutes turned the tie on its head.
Real went on to lift the trophy.“Moments like that City game—this is why I came here,” said Mbappe.
“I’ve been dreaming of nights like this at the Bernabeu since I was a kid.”
Real Madrid’s history is filled with iconic turnarounds: the stunning late win over Manchester City in 2022, Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute equaliser in the 2014 final against Atletico Madrid, and the Ronaldo-led comeback against Wolfsburg in 2016.
As Cristiano Ronaldo once said, “At Santiago Bernabeu, comebacks are always on everyone’s lips.”
That legacy dates back to the 1980s, when Juanito famously warned Inter Milan: “Ninety minutes at the Bernabeu is a long time.
”Now, it’s Mbappe’s turn to write his chapter in that history.
“We have to believe, we have to have confidence,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti last week.
“Because sometimes, quite often at the Bernabeu, it happens.”