Comebacks are the theme of the week in the UEFA Champions League and nowhere is that more true than Madrid, where reigning champions Real Madrid will attempt to pick up a commanding win in order to keep their hopes alive in this season’s competition.
Real Madrid are just one week removed from a 3-0 loss at Arsenal, which was one of the more lopsided results in the first leg action of the quarterfinals. Though Carli Ancelotti’s side have been dubbed the comeback kings after surviving a variety of imperfect scenarios over the last two years, Wednesday’s second leg at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will put that label to the test – and perhaps also lays the foundation for a turnaround of epic proportions.
The word “remontada” has been joined at Real Madrid’s hip since their loss in North London, and not only because it translates to “comeback” in Spanish. The situation calls back to one of the Champions League’s most dramatic ties in recent years, which feels doable this time around because of Real Madrid’s star-studded attack that includes Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Here’s what you need to know about the “remontada” and why it is the buzzword ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Arsenal on Wednesday.
How to watch Real Madrid vs. Arsenal, odds
- Date: Wednesday, April 16 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu — Madrid, Spain
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Real Madrid -140; Draw +300; Arsenal +340
What does “remontada” mean?
“Remontada” means “comeback” or “turnaround” in Spanish. The word has been used a handful of times to describe comebacks in soccer by Spanish teams, especially when the turnarounds were dramatic ones.
What was “La Remontada?”
If there is one game that has earned the title of “La Remontada” – “The Comeback,” proper noun – it was Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in March 2017. Unai Emery’s PSG collected a 4-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, making the second leg at Barcelona’s Camp Nou feel like a formality. The game was far from that, though – Luis Enrique’s Barcelona came out in full force and notched a 6-1 win, beating PSG 6-5 on aggregate and advancing to the quarterfinals. Neymar scored a brace that day and took home man of the match honors after one of the most memorable Champions League comebacks ever.
What Real Madrid are saying
The uptick in the use of the word “remontada” has not gone unnoticed by Real Madrid, who have readily embraced the task ahead of Wednesday’s big game.
“Remontada… honestly, I’ve heard it a million times this week,” Jude Bellingham said at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “I’ve seen a lot of videos on social media, and I’ve also heard it from you, the press.”
Bellingham also commented on Real Madrid’s history of comebacks over the last several seasons, including on their title-winning runs in the Champions League.
“It’s a night tailor-made for Madrid. It’s been an unbelievable environment in the last few days. [The first leg] was one of the worst results we could imagine and now everyone is waiting for the comeback. Thinking [about a “remontada”] after the [first] game is complicated because you have that difficult moment, analysing what you haven’t done well. But as you talk about it and you see the confidence, you get into all that. We have had previous experiences. These feelings are contagious. It was almost immediate, on the bus, even though we weren’t like we are now.”
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