Jude Bellingham claims Real Madrid were ‘lucky to get away with three’ against Arsenal – as holders need an ‘unbelievably special’ display to turn around Champions League tie

Jude Bellingham has given a damning assessment of Real Madrid’s performance against Arsenal by admitting they were ‘lucky’ to only concede three in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.

The reigning European champions suffered a 3-0 loss at the Emirates to leave their title defence hanging by a thread.

Declan Rice produced two stunning second half free kicks to put Arsenal 2-0 up on the night, before Mikel Merino fired home a third for the hosts.

Real Madrid star Bellingham admitted post-match that the result could have been even worse for Los Blancos.

The England midfielder claimed the Spanish giants were ‘nowhere near it’ on the night and conceded they now need something ‘unbelievably special’ to turn the tie around. 

‘We were nowhere near it, that is the fact and Arsenal were really good,’ Bellingham told Amazon Prime. ‘Two of the goals are really good free kicks but to be honest they could have had way more.

Declan Rice scored two stunning free kicks to put Arsenal in charge of the quarter-final clash

Thibaut Courtois had produced several saves to deny Arsenal before their second half treble

‘But there is a second leg, we are holding onto it, we will need something unbelievably special. 

‘You never know, but I cant come out and say we will give up, it’s not in the nature of the club and the mentality they instill in you.

‘They [the free kicks] are two pieces of individual quality. If it wasn’t for them they still had a number of chances and we got punished and that happens.

‘We had a chance but in these games you need to create more. Very rarely do you come here and score one and go through. We just didn’t do enough, got to the final third multiple times but they reacted well and we didn’t do enough with the ball.

‘We are still alive, we still have 90 minutes.’