‘The Russo cannon kills Madrid’: How the Spanish papers reported Arsenal’s destruction of Real Madrid | OneFootball

Spanish newspapers reacted with stunned admiration and brutal honesty after Alessia Russo and Arsenal dismantled Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Alessia Russo’s ruthless finishing and Mariona Caldentey’s orchestration left the Spanish media with little to console themselves as Arsenal eviscerated Real Madrid in a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Spanish outlets, many of which had talked up Madrid’s hopes of reaching their first UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final, turned on their side with harsh realism after what Marca described as a performance that was “overwhelmed in all facets.”

“El cañón Russo mata al Madrid,” read the front of AS. “The Russo cannon kills Madrid.”

In a vivid match report, the paper said: “So Arsenal destroyed Real Madrid’s defence and, along with it, their dream of playing their first Champions League semi-final. It was thanks to a double from Russo, in gunslinger mode, and her ally Mariona.”

The Russo cannon kills Madrid – AS

The sense of inevitable collapse ran through most of the coverage.

Mundo Deportivo noted: “A hard blow for Real Madrid, who were left at the gates of making history… Arsenal dominated the entire match.”

They credited the English side’s dominance in the second half, where they delivered “13 descomunales minutos,” or “13 tremendous minutes,” to erase the 2-0 deficit from the first leg. “The tie was gone,” it concluded, once Russo scored her second and Arsenal’s third.

Real Madrid wakes up from their European dream – Mundo Deportivo

La Voz de Galicia was succinct: “Arsenal ended Real Madrid’s dream.” The Gunners were described as “superior,” and their win termed a “goleada” – a drubbing.

The most detailed dissection came from Marca, which carried the grim headline: “El Arsenal torna el sueño en pesadilla” – “Arsenal turns the dream into a nightmare.”

Arsenal turn a dream into a nightmare – Marca

David Menayo wrote: “Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League after losing to Arsenal (3-0) at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Russo (2) and Mariona overturned the Spanish side’s lead from the first leg.”

He continued: “The first half was an exercise in resistance for Real Madrid… but everything that didn’t go in during the first half, did in the second.”

Marca praised Arsenal’s intensity, their “high pressing” and superiority in every area of the pitch.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Madrid, Menayo noted, “were unable to find a solution… not on the pitch, not from the bench.”

The Real Madrid manager’s hesitation to make changes came under direct criticism: “He didn’t make a substitution until the 77th minute.”

Russo’s second disallowed goal and a late Linda Caicedo chance were footnotes in what the paper called “a bitter farewell and harsh punishment.”

For Spain’s media, the verdict was unanimous: Arsenal were dominant, ruthless, and relentless. The story was not one of near-miss heartbreak for Madrid, but of a brutal and decisive defeat at the hands of a better-drilled side with a clearer identity and far sharper edge.

In North London, the Champions League dream lives on. In Madrid, it was left in ruins.