Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid attributed his team's elimination against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals to the absence of a true striker like Joselu, who departed for Al-Gharafa last summer after being crucial to Real's success in the previous season.
Courtois acknowledged Arsenal's strong defensive performance and organization, admitting that his team struggled to create opportunities and were outplayed by the superior Arsenal squad. Meanwhile, Lucas Vázquez felt that Arsenal's defensive approach limited Real Madrid's chances and made for a challenging game with few scoring opportunities for his team.