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Real Madrid might be 3-0 down heading into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Arsenal.

But history says you can't write them off just yet.

Los Blancos have lost the first leg of a major European tie by three goals or more on six occasions previously, but have recovered to progress in half of those contests.

But in a relief for the Gunners fans, the last time they did so was all the way back in the 1985-86 Uefa Cup, when they lost the first leg to Borussia Monchengladbach 5-1 but came back to win the second leg 4-0 and progress on away goals.

It was a repeat of their heroics from the previous season when they lost the last-16 first leg 3-0 before winning the return fixture 6-1 against Anderlecht.

More recently, they went 4-1 down to Borussia Dortmund during the 2012-13 Champions League semi-finals but their comeback fell short despite a 2-0 win in the second leg.

Real Madrid's record after conceding three or more goals in first leg:

• 1964-65 European Cup Quarter-finals - Lost 1st leg 5-1 and won 2nd leg 2-1 v Benfica - Eliminated
• 1975-76 European Cup Last 16 - Lost 1st leg 4-1 and won 2nd 5-1 v Derby County - Progressed
• 1984-85 Uefa Cup Last 16 - Lost 1st leg 3-0 and won 2nd 6-1 v Anderlecht - Progressed
• 1985-86 Uefa Cup Last 16 - Lost 1st leg 5-1 and won 2nd 5-0 v Borussia Monchengladbach - Progressed
• 1986-87 European Cup Semi-finals - Lost 1st leg 4-1 and won 2nd 1-0 v Bayern Munich - Eliminated
• 2012-13 Champions League Semi-finals - Lost 1st leg 4-1 and won 2nd 2-0 v Borussia Dortmund - Eliminated

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti was bullish about Real Madrid's Champions League hopes despite the 3-0 defeat last night.

"It seems that after tonight there is no chance, but in football there are always changes," he said after the game.

"Nobody expected Arsenal to score two goals from set pieces, but these things happen sometimes. We have to believe.”

But out of 15 Champions League knockout ties in which they lost the first leg, the Spanish giants have only overturned the deficit and progressed to the next stage on five occasions.

They first did so against Galatasaray in the 2000-01 quarter-final - the first leg of which they lost 3-2 before winning 3-0 in Madrid.

Ancelotti's side also came back from first-leg defeats twice during the 2021-22 season on their way to winning their 14th European title.

They overcame a 1-0 first-leg defeat to win 3-2 on aggregate against Paris St-Germain in the last 16 before also beating Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate despite losing the first leg 4-3.

Real Madrid's Champions League comebacks:

• 2000-01 Quarter-finals - Lost 1st leg 3-2 and won 2nd leg 3-0 v Galatasaray
• 2001-02 Quarter-finals - Lost 1st leg 2-1 and won 2nd leg 2-0 v Bayern Munich
• 2015-16 Quarter-finals - Lost 1st leg 2-0 and won 2nd leg 3-0 v Wolfsburg
• 2021-22 Last 16 - Lost 1st leg 1-0 and won 2nd leg 3-1 v Paris St-Germain
• 2021-22 Semi-finals - Lost 1st leg 4-3 and won 2nd leg 3-1 v Manchester City

Julien Laurens
European football expert on BBC Radio 5 Live

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We said before the game that Arsenal were probably a better team collectively in terms of cohesion, structure, even tactics than Real Madrid.

But Real Madrid obviously have the superstars and the difference makers and anything can happen when you've got Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe and Rodrygo on the pitch.

The problem is, if those superstars don't show up, don't turn up or just the opposition defend really well, like Arsenal did yesterday, then there's not much left for Real Madrid really to do anything. And that's exactly what happened.

Arsenal were so good collectively, tactically, with the ball, but without the ball as well. And just Real Madrid had nothing to offer.

It's almost hard to believe that players like Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo, all four together, could not even threaten at some point David Raya. They just had nothing. Their second-half especially was disastrous.

I don't think it's acceptable for a club like Real Madrid to be so unbalanced and to be so disjointed as a football team when you know how much those players cost and everything.

But yes, credit to Arsenal for making them look so bad.

We've got a few of these texts coming, like that one from Danny.

There's more to come on Real Madrid's recent struggles in today's page, but regardless of that, beating the defending Premier League champions 3-0 without a recognised striker available takes some doing...

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Declan Rice’s precise and consistent deliveries from corner kicks have become key for Arsenal since the midfielder's move from West Ham.

His accuracy in getting the ball into the six-yard area coupled with the aerial ability of the likes of Gabriel and Kai Havertz have made Arsenal a formidable power during set-pieces.

And the numbers are there to back his impact.

Among Premier League players, only James Ward-Prowse has bagged more assists from dead-ball situations than Rice across all competitions over the past two seasons.

Ward-Prowse, one of the has 10 assists from set-pieces during that period while Rice is level on eight assists with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes on eight.

Premier League players with most assists from dead balls since start of 2023-24 season:

1. James Ward-Prowse - 10 assists
2. Declan Rice - 8 assists
3. Bruno Fernandes - 8 assists
4. Andreas Pereira - 6 assists

If those two answers don't sum up the debate around how good Declan Rice's free-kicks were, we are not sure what will!

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Before Tuesday's win over Real Madrid, Declan Rice had never scored twice in the same match before.

Rice's two goals against Real takes him to seven for the season in all competitions for the Gunners, matching his tally from last season.

While Rice is now up to 29 career club goals, his double against Real was his first in the same match.

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice had five shots in total during Tuesday's 3-0 win over Real Madrid. Four of which were on target.

As well as his two free-kick goals, he also saw a header saved in the first half, had a shot in the second half cleared off the line by England teammate Jude Bellingham and a left-footed shot from close range that he was unable to convert.

It is only the second time in his professional career that Rice has had five shots in one match, matching the total he managed for Arsenal in their 6-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League in March 2024.

His four shots on target was also a personal record, with his previous best of three coming in that win over the Blades.

Another debate surrounding Declan Rice's goals comes around which one of them was better?

Do you prefer how he bent the first one around the wall, or how the second had perfect placement in the top corner?

Thumbs up for the first, thumbs down for the second.

You can also have your say, just get in touch using all of the usual channels:

• WhatsApp on 03301231826
• Text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
• #bbcfootball on X

Andros Townsend
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

That is a tough question...I think the first one because the second one, in the top corner, you see that more often.

On the first one - first of all it is so far out from goal, then to start it so far outside the post and to bring it back in is such a difficult technique.

To beat a world-class goalkeeper like Thibaut Courtois from there is so tough.

For me it's that one.

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To set the record straight on Arsenal's free-kick record, Mikel Arteta's post-match claim that they had not scored a direct free-kick since September 2021 is not strictly true.

Bukayo Saka scored one against Paris St-Germain in October, in a 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium in this season's Champions League.

However, the England winger had attempted a cross, but it drifted past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

So we will let Arteta off with his stat - the last time Arsenal intentionally scored direct from a free-kick was Martin Odegaard's effort against Burnley four years ago.

Since Martin Odegaard's goal against Burnley in September 2021, 14 players had attempted a total of 62 direct free-kicks for Arsenal.

Only Bukayo Saka's miscued cross against Paris St-Germain earlier in this year's Champions League found the back of the next in that time before Declan Rice's two against Real Madrid.

The graphic above shows the club's main free-kick takers in that time.

Alexandre Lacazette, Cedric Soares, Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey also all failed to score from two attempts, while Ethan Nwaneri, Nicolas Pepe, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Reiss Nelson each drew a blank from one attempted free-kick.

Andros Townsend
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Speaking about those two free-kicks - technically they were both perfection.

The first one - he starts it so far outside the post and it creeps in right at the last moment.

[Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut] Courtois could do nothing.

You could see they were working on that in training because the set-piece coach [Nicolas Jover] comes out and he's signalling to them to whip it around the wall.

So I think that they are working on THE perfect free-kick in training, and in the biggest moment Declan Rice steps up and puts two in the absolute perfect spot.

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Arsenal are a team that have become renowned for their threat at set-pieces under specialist coach Nicolas Jover, but direct free-kicks are something different.

They hadn't scored an intentional direct free-kick since Martin Odegaard fired one in against Burnley in September 2021.

Arsenal's free-kicks are usually taken by Bukayo Saka or Odegaard, but Declan Rice said that he saw the space around the Madrid wall for the first goal and told Saka he was confident.

The England winger responded: "If you feel it, go for it."

TV pictures showed Jover signalling towards Rice, who later said he was being told to whip in a cross.

Rice said: "It didn't make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass.

"I'm happy I took it because it was magic."