Bukayo Saka: How Arsenal star tortured Real Madrid

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Nicknames in football feel like something of a relic of yesteryear. Fernando Torres was ‘El Nino’, Edinson Cavani was ‘El Matador’ and Ronaldo was ‘Il Fenomeno’. These are examples from decades gone by, but now it’s Bukayo Saka’s turn.

After Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Real Madrid, Spanish newspaper AS labelled him ‘un torturador’ — a torturer. The context was that he made veteran left-back David Alaba, who ended up calling Jude Bellingham to take his place, suffer. But over two legs, the same could be true of all Madrid’s players. These two legs are still Saka’s only starts of 2025 after three months out with a hamstring injury — his three Premier League appearances have come from the bench.

He wasted no time showing why he was so missed.

Three minutes into the first leg, the England international had dropped a shoulder and jinked past Luka Modric to win a foul on the edge of the Madrid box. Four minutes in at the Bernabeu, and Alaba had already been booked for needlessly clattering into Saka. Warning signs were there early on in both games and set the tone for what to expect from Arsenal’s No 7.

Saka also won standout fouls in the second half at the Emirates, and these led to everlasting moments. The first demonstrated the patience of a seasoned pro, with the 23-year-old teasing Alaba to make a challenge. The second showed why Fulham’s Antonee Robinson told The Athletic in October that Saka is “one of the strongest players, pound for pound, that I’ve played against.” Shielding the ball from Bellingham, who was tugging at his arm, he broke free with quick feet before receiving a kick from Eduardo Camavinga.

Both free kicks were converted by Declan Rice, giving Arsenal the platform to progress to the semi-finals. Saka influenced the first, telling Rice to shoot if he felt it was right despite instructions to cross, but his torment of Madrid went way beyond these moments.

His wing play was devastating, ranking first in the match for progressive carries (six) and ensuring each carry ended with a problem for the opposition to solve.

After fooling Modric to cut onto his left foot in the opening exchanges, he took the outside route as the first leg progressed. Fully capable of bursting down the touchline, he left Alaba and Bellingham in the dust on separate occasions before fizzing low right-footed crosses into the six-yard box. The first forced Antonio Rudiger into a panicked clearance which bounced off Camavinga and just wide of the Madrid post.

The second, in which Alaba asked Bellingham to take Saka, flashed across the face of the goal. Rice admitted to CBS post-match that he “could have had a tap-in” if he continued his run.

Another right-footed cross, created by a one-two with Martin Odegaard, was deflected just out of Gabriel Martinelli’s path. That connection with Odegaard grew in the second half, the Norwegian playing a nutmegged pass through Alaba’s legs to find him.

Saka’s deliveries from corners also helped Arsenal mount pressure on Thibaut Courtois in north London. His first was right on top of the keeper, forcing him to punch behind for another. The next looked to be goal-bound had it not been for William Saliba blocking it on the line. Despite leaving the game without an official goal involvement, Saka was back, and everyone knew it.

He may have started the second leg in a similar fashion, but Saka offered Arsenal something different as they grew more comfortable at the Bernabeu.

Minutes after Alaba’s early booking, Arsenal’s star was flashing a right-footed effort at Courtois’ goal. Fast forward two more minutes and his dummy after cutting in floored Alaba before he aimed with his left foot just outside the box.

Before 10 minutes were on the clock, he had also carried into the box and held off Rudiger before spinning in behind for a return pass from Odegaard that didn’t come off — an unfortunate theme of an otherwise superb evening.

His Panenka penalty was surprising. Having never attempted that method before, to do so in arguably the biggest game of his career so far spoke to his confidence, as did his performance after the penalty miss.

With Madrid seeing more of the ball, Saka was the one to stay high and give Arsenal an out ball rather than Mikel Merino at centre-forward. In the first half, drawing fouls from Alaba and Lucas Vazquez as the sole Arsenal player near the halfway line helped stall the hosts’ momentum.

After half-time, all Alaba could do was watch as Saka chested down a long pass from David Raya, held him off, and then spread play out to Rice and Martinelli.

His goal came from being Arsenal’s out-ball past the hour mark — along with a helping hand from Merino. Another long pass from Raya was flicked on by Merino for Saka to chase, and after setting the ball back to Odegaard, he did what all good wingers should — stay alert. Drifting into a more central area, not one defender picked him up, leaving him free to finally dink the ball over Courtois.

Then came the customary shush and shrug.

Saka then dropped back to make two interventions alongside Jurrien Timber before he was replaced by Leandro Trossard in the 77th minute. These are the efforts that stood out to Thierry Henry, who Saka FaceTimed the morning of the game. Speaking on CBS: “A lot of time people praise the back four, but the way you and Martinelli defend… You did at one point to help Timber and you actually didn’t have to and you stopped the ball in the box. So forget the penalty and the goal, which was outstanding, but it’s what you do off the ball that impresses me the most.”

“With Bukayo, he stepped up,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “He didn’t score (the penalty). That could be a turning point emotionally in the game because it gives him a lot of belief. But then the way he handled the situation, the way he played afterwards, and the personality that he showed at his age. It’s the first time he’s played in this stadium, it’s incredible.”

With 151 minutes played across the two legs, Saka truly tortured Madrid. While Dani Carvajal seemed to take issue with him as he entered the tunnel at half-time, Vinicius Junior was asking for his shirt after the final whistle.

The goal and the Henry-esque celebration were the icing on top of an incredibly well-baked cake. It was Saka’s fifth goal and seventh goal involvement in seven Champions League games this season. Since Arsenal’s return to Europe’s elite last season, he has been involved in 15 goals in 16 appearances.

Scoring at the Bernabeu did not happen by chance. Saka has been on a European conquest since he arrived at the Champions League table.

(Top photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)

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