Álvaro Arbeloa launched his Real Madrid coaching career in the Champions League with a commanding 6-1 victory against Monaco. That result puts him level with Carlo Ancelotti. Only one coach in club history has started even stronger.
Arbeloa Equals Ancelotti's 6-1 Champions League Debut for Real Madrid - Historic Opening
For anyone watching the livescore for soccer mstches on Wednesday night, Real Madrid's result was the one that made you stop and look twice. Álvaro Arbeloa could hardly have asked for a better first Champions League night in charge. The team ran riot and beat Monaco 6-1 at the Bernabéu. That single scoreline instantly placed him in very rare company inside the club's history.He didn't just win. He repeated an exact achievement that Carlo Ancelotti managed when he first took the hot seat.
The Ancelotti parallel that everyone is talking about
Go back to September 2013. Ancelotti walked into his opening Champions League match as Madrid boss and guided the team to a 6-1 demolition of Galatasaray on their own patch. Everyone remembers how that campaign finished. Real Madrid lifted their tenth European Cup that season. La Décima finally arrived after so many close calls.Fans are already connecting the dots. A 6-1 score in the very first group-stage game feels like a powerful sign. Both matches showed total control. Madrid scored early, kept pushing, and never let the opponent settle. Ancelotti had Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and a very hungry squad. Arbeloa has Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham tearing teams apart.
Only one name sits above them
The record books show just one Real Madrid coach who started his Champions League (or European Cup) journey with an even bigger win. That honour belongs to Manuel Fleitas Solich. In 1959, his side destroyed Jeunesse d'Esch from Luxembourg by 7-0.And yes, you guessed it. That same season ended with another European title for Madrid. Their fifth consecutive crown during the legendary Di Stéfano years.
So right now, the ranking for the biggest opening-margin wins in a first Champions League game for Real Madrid looks like this:
- Manuel Fleitas Solich → 7-0 against Jeunesse d'Esch (1959)
- Carlo Ancelotti → 6-1 against Galatasaray (2013)
- Álvaro Arbeloa → 6-1 against Monaco (2026)
What the 6-1 really tells us
Big early wins always feel special. This one arrived at a perfect moment. The dressing room needed a lift, and the fans wanted to see a clear direction after the coaching change. Arbeloa gave them both.Mbappé looked electric. Vinícius caused constant problems. Bellingham controlled the tempo and chipped in with goals and assists. Even the defence stayed calm despite the score suggesting a wild game. Monaco's goal was little more than a late reply.
Arbeloa stayed humble in his post-match words. He pointed to the players' quality and work rate rather than claiming any coaching masterstroke. Smart move. Everyone knows the real tests are coming.
Where things go from here
One game doesn't win you the trophy. The new Champions League format brings more matches and much stiffer competition. Monaco is strong, but they are not Bayern, City or PSG on a good day. Consistency across the next few months will matter far more than one brilliant night.Still, you can't ignore the momentum. Confidence is high. The attack looks frightening when it clicks. The Bernabéu crowd left happy, and the players looked like they enjoyed themselves.
The hope every Madridista is carrying now
When your new coach starts by matching one of Ancelotti's most famous early results, it's hard not to dream a little. That 2013-14 season delivered the big-eared trophy. The 1959 side kept the dynasty alive. History gives fans something to cling to, and for those feeling the thrill, you can sign up and login to Hollywoodbets easily to follow every twist of this promising new chapter.Arbeloa has put himself into an exclusive group. Only one man ever opened with a bigger win. Everything else is up to the next games, the next decisions, the next moments of magic from the stars.
For now, Madridistas are smiling. The season feels alive again.
