Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has delivered a foreboding message to Arsenal ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old struggled to make an impact in the first leg, which saw Madrid suffer a heavy 3-0 loss, with Declan Rice scoring twice from free-kicks and Mikel Merino adding a composed finish.
Following the defeat, Vinicius took to Instagram, writing: “No excuses. Bad game. We must improve and fight at the Bernabéu. Magic things have already happened at our home… and we can do it again.”
Despite the steep deficit, Real Madrid’s history in the competition keeps hope alive. Jude Bellingham echoed this belief during Tuesday’s press conference, admitting the team fell short in the first leg but emphasizing the high expectations at Madrid to stage comebacks.
“Nothing about the first leg was up to our standards,” Bellingham said. “We know we can do better, and that’s what we want to show.”
He added that while such comebacks are less common in England, they’re part of Madrid’s DNA: “This club has done it so many times – the expectations are massive.”
Bellingham also shared how much motivation he and the team have drawn from past moments and the atmosphere surrounding the tie: “It’s a night made for Real Madrid… hopefully, we can make it another historic evening.”
Later that evening, Vinicius posted a brief but charged message on his Instagram story to his 52.9 million followers: “Mañana. 9pm.” (“Tomorrow. 9pm.”)
Ahead of the game, UEFA approved a special request from Real Madrid to close the Santiago Bernabéu’s retractable roof—a feature added during the stadium’s recent £1.5 billion renovation. Both UEFA and the club confirmed the decision, which has precedent from past Champions League matches.
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