Aggregate score: Real Madrid 0, Arsenal 3

The game is officially underway at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where Real Madrid have to mount a massive comeback in order to stay in the competition.

 8′ Defending may be Arsenal’s priority at the Bernabeu today, but they just mustered up a promising attacking opportunity. The chance ends with Saka sending the ball wide of the net but his nice strike isn’t far off. A few moments later, he takes another hit inside the box and forces a save out of Courtois.

 3′ Real Madrid act quick — again, out of necessity because of the 3-0 deficit — and Mbappe manageds to pop the ball into the back of the net. The offside flag immediately comes up but the energy in the stadium is obvious — the hosts are doing all they can to overcome the deficit, and the crowd is pitching in with cheers for the hosts and jeers for the visitors. Arsenal, for their part, have already begun the time-wasting effort, an unusual sight so early in any game.

 Arsenal may be the less experienced team in today’s showdown but if the last few years under Mikel Arteta’s leadership is anything to go by, the well-organized defense he has crafted can get the job done. James Benge argues that the Gunners’ defensive structure means the comeback will be too tall a task for Real Madrid, with last week’s showing offering a perfect example.

• Benge: “Starting with the most obvious part of the task, did this really look like a team capable of scoring three times at the Emirates Stadium? Nine shots for half an expected goal (xG) would suggest otherwise. Mistakes from Jakub Kiwior and Bukayo Saka handed the visitors threatening moments early on. A moment of exceptional quality down the left by Jude Bellingham handed Kylian Mbappe his best chance of the night, bent too close to David Raya. Once Arsenal cut out the sloppiness of the first half hour, Madrid found themselves driving into a William Saliba-shaped brick wall.”

 In ordinary circumstances, losing the first leg 3-0 is usually a death knell for a team’s hopes in the Champions League, but Real Madrid are no ordinary team. As the so-called comeback kings, they come with a certain level of confidence that’s unlike any other club in Europe, the type of confidence that somehow puts the onus on Arsenal to live up to the hype in unfamiliar circumstances. Jamie Carragher dives into the intimidation factor of Real Madrid at home during the UEFA Champions League Today pre-game show, and you can watch the clip below.

 The words “Real Madrid” and “remontada” have been joined at the hip since last week’s 3-0 loss at Arsenal, something that has not been lost on the players. Here’s Jude Bellingham from Tuesday’s pre-match press conference on how they have prepared to mount an epic comeback — and why this is still, in a way, a situation that might favor Real Madrid.

• Bellingham: “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. 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.”

 Manager Mikel Arteta goes with the same exact lineup from last week’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid including Thomas Partey, who he claimed was injured over the last few days but makes the start.

Arsenal starting XI: David Raya, Jurian Timber, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino

Substitutes: Neto, Tommy Setford, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Michel Rosiak, Jack Henry-Francis, Leandro Trossard, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Jimi Gower, Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri

 Carlo Ancelotti calls upon his stars for today’s big game while also making two changes to the team that started at Arsenal, one forced by the red card Eduardo Camavinga picked up in North London last week. Here’s a look at Real Madrid’s lineup.

Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Raul Ascensio, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe

Substitutes: Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre, Luka Modric, Arda Guler, Endrick, Jesus Vellejo, Dani Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz

 There’s one final batch of Champions League action before the semifinals, and we have quite a headlining act ahead of us. Real Madrid’s status as perennial favorites has taken some hits over the course of the Champions League campaign but no setback has been as big as last week’s, which sees them enter today’s second leg a 3-0 deficit. There’s an argument to be made that if anyone can mount the comeback and enjoy their own “remontada,” it’s the comeback kings themselves but turning around a 3-0 deficit against a talented Arsenal side is easier said than done.

Stick around for buildup to the big game, as well as updates once the match kicks off.