Real Madrid star Álvaro Arbeloa appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, taking place at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

The coach said, "I want to see the Real Madrid that has always risen to the challenge against top teams. Tomorrow, we face a team having an exceptional season and considered the most consistent in Europe so far. We are aware of the challenge they will pose on the field and the special history we share with Bayern. I am sure tomorrow will be another great night in the Champions League, like the ones we witnessed against Manchester City."

He added, "We are not considering not winning, and there is only one possible scenario, which is to beat Bayern and qualify. This is our sole objective and the only thing we believe in. All our energy is focused on the Bayern match."

He continued: "Mbappé has different characteristics than Brahim Diaz, and for this reason, we have to play in a different style. But I am happy to have great players like him, and Mbappé, who came here to participate in knockout stages like these. We are fortunate to have all the players available, and not a team suffering from the absence of 10 or 11 players, as has happened on other occasions."

Regarding teamwork: "To win a match, you need to master many aspects and be a complete team, both with and without the ball. You must be cohesive and possess a team mentality, which is something I strongly emphasize with the players. Talent is very important, but the most important thing is to harness it to serve the team and to be the best team in the world."

He continued: "Having a player like Mbappe on the team is an extraordinary fortune. I don't know if there's a coach in the world who wouldn't wish to have him. When I put myself in the shoes of defenders playing against Real Madrid and have to face Mbappe, Vinicius, Valverde, and Bellingham... Well, I think they are among the best players on the planet, and they have earned that with their performance. As a coach, I am fortunate to have them available."

He added: "To win, you must not only be able to do one thing well, but you must be able to do many things very well in all phases of play. Whether with or without the ball, you need to be a very complete team, and also in every detail of set pieces. To be a great team, you must be highly cohesive, and above all, possess that collective mentality, which is perhaps what I emphasize most with the players. Individually, we have some of the best players in the world, and we must also be able to be the best team in the world. Talent is very important because it ultimately makes the difference, but more importantly, it is to put this talent in the service of the team."

He added: "Does Mbappe not understand what it means to represent Real Madrid? Mbappe knows exactly what Real Madrid means, I have no doubt about that. He is a boy who dreamed of being a Real Madrid player since he was young, and we have all seen pictures of Kylian in the club's jersey dreaming of this day. What he did to come here was not easy at all, and as I told you before... I would like you to ask me this question again after the match against Bayern Munich."

Regarding the team's failure to come back in results: "My mentality is that of Real Madrid, which is to always win. As many people and coaches say: (When you can't win, you must know how to draw), but I always think we can win. We've had several matches where we conceded goals in the final minutes, perhaps due to that overwhelming desire to pursue victory, but this is Real Madrid; you have to try to win always and every minute."

Regarding the team's locker room after the loss against Mallorca: "It's a locker room like any other when a loss occurs, and perhaps more painful; because if there's a club where losing is not allowed and defeat is not accepted, it's Real Madrid. Of course, the next day (after the loss), there were many affected players, but I didn't need more than five seconds to tell them that we don't have time to dwell on what happened; we will certainly have time for that later. But our focus now should be on tomorrow's match, and that's what we've been trying to do all the time since the end of the Mallorca match. This is the only thing we think about: winning tomorrow. This should be our entire focus, and we have to put all our energy into the upcoming match, which is against an opponent - as I have said and explained before - that presents a very high level, and all our energy is now directed towards thinking about the Bayern Munich match."

Regarding tomorrow's match: "The players are fully aware of the nature of the game awaiting them tomorrow, so I don't need to alert them to anything, which is natural and obvious. We have watched Bayern and what they do on the field, and we need to be prepared to know what they will do to us and what we will do to them. But in the end, we are talking about the quarter-finals, against a team with whom we have a great history, and at the Bernabeu, which will be buzzing with excitement... so I believe everyone understands the magnitude of the responsibility."

Regarding the future of David Alaba: "It is a great honor to have a player with a career and history like David Alaba in the team. What he has achieved not only here at Real Madrid but throughout his career as a football player at Bayern Munich or with his national team, I believe it is a real privilege to have him at this club. It is wonderful for all his teammates to experience being with a player like him. As for me as a coach, he has participated in matches where he has helped us significantly. I always encourage them to realize that every player is very important no matter how many minutes they play, and I am completely convinced of that. David's case is more special; he has an immense ability to convey all those values that a football player should have, in addition to his technical capabilities. As for what the future holds for him, that is something he and Real Madrid will have to evaluate, but for me as a coach, it is a great honor to have him in this group and to be able to help him, and above all, for him to help us."

Regarding Kompany's style with Bayern Munich: "I think it's a team that has been worked on very well. As I said earlier, you can clearly and quickly see the team's identity, in all styles of play and how the players connect with each other. It is a very aggressive team in the defensive phase; they apply tight man-to-man marking and press forward over long distances with any of their players without fear. They are very brave and engage in many duels. This style puts the team in situations where you see all 11 players retreat across the field at a tremendous speed, and here you realize the intensity of play and the pace they impose. When in possession of the ball, they are capable of putting you in difficult situations with highly talented players on the flanks, and a striker like Harry Kane who can drop back to receive the ball and move the entire team. Bayern Munich seems to me to be a very complete team, with many weapons to harm opponents and score goals, and in addition, they are very involved and committed defensively. It is clear that all the positive remarks about Kompany are deserved, and all the praise he receives is due to the great work he is doing at Bayern Munich."

He concluded regarding Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius, Tchouameni, Carvajal, and Haussen being at risk of suspension if they receive a yellow card tomorrow: "They are well aware that they are at risk of suspension, but tomorrow's match will be a strong one and will be played on details. If any of them needs to get a yellow card for the benefit of the team, they will do so without a doubt. They are players with great experience; we have played several matches where many of them were at risk of suspension, yet we managed to get through those matches without them receiving that yellow card. So, we hope that tomorrow's match will be another opportunity where none of them gets a warning."