Real Madrid

Referee announced for Arsenal Real second leg- Same ref as Euro 2024 final & previous UCL QF’s!

A French referee has been appointed for the second leg of Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, with Francois Letexier set to take charge of the game. Letexier was also the ref for last year’s Euro 2024 final between Spain and England, but has never refereed an Arsenal game so far.

While this will be Arsenal’s first game with Letexier as ref, he’s already been in charge of several Real Madrid games so far, including a 2-0 loss to Liverpool FC in the league phase of this year’s Champions League.

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“Humillados”- Spanish Newspaper Headlines & Front Page Reaction to Arsenal 3-0 win over Real Madrid

Here is a look at the newspaper headlines and front pages of some of Spain’s biggest sports newspapers following Real Madrid’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the first leg of their CL tie.

Real surprisingly lost 3-0 to Arsenal, with Declan Rice scoring two fantastic free kicks (the first time in his senior career that he’s scored a free kick goal!)

Marca newspaper front page and headline 9 April 2025

Marca went with the “Humillados” (Humiliated) headline, but also added a note underneath that “For Madrid, nothing is impossible“, indicating that one can never count Los Blancos out of the tie ahead of the return leg at the Bernabeu despite trailing 3-0 from the first leg.

Real have had an uncanny knack of coming up trumps even when the odds are against them in Europe, and the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea know all too well about it.

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L’Equipe Marca Player Ratings Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid Champions League 2025- Rice stars

Here are the player ratings for Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid from L’Equipe, Marca and other European sports newspapers following AFC’s stunning first leg Champions League triumph.

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid (Rice*2, Merino)

L’Equipe player ratings Arsenal vs Real Madrid 3-0

Declan Rice scored two stunning free kicks for Arsenal, and L’Equipe, who are notoriously tough/stingy with their ratings, have given him a 9/10.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibault Courtois and medio Jude Bellingham were the best Real Madrid players against Arsenal with a 5/10 rating. Vini and Rodrygo got a 2/10 player rating while Mbappe was given a 3/10 rating by L’Equipe.

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid Player Ratings L'Equipe UCL

L’Equipe also gave Carlo Ancelotti a 3/10 manager rating, while his opposite number Mikel Arteta got a 7.

Marca player ratings Arsenal 3 Real Madrid 0 UCL

No Real Madrid player managed more than 1 star in Spanish newspaper Marca’s eyes while Rice and Lewis-Skelly both got 3 stars on the Arsenal side, as did Gunners gaffer Mikel Arteta.

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