Well, that wasn’t so difficult.

Contrary to their own worst fears and Real Madrid’s history of Lazarus-like comebacks, Arsenal did more than prevail in the Bernabeu.

The injury-blighted, striker-less, erstwhile nearly men from north London dared to slay the beast in its den!

The Champions League quarter-final 5-1 aggregate win was nothing if not deserved, and has a significance that the rest of Europe will celebrate.

Last week, the European champions were pulverised; this week, they were managed – less spectacularly, but just as convincingly.

They were knocked off their perch, and the race for the trophy is wide open – any of the four semi-finalists could win it.

And European football is looking at a new horizon, no longer overshadowed by the towering monolith of Madrid.

Not forgetting some great goalkeeping, the player of the quarter-finals was Declan Rice, the midfield major who, over two legs, has risen to a five-star general.

The England star, 26, was exactly what Real were missing – the heart and soul of the team.

He was just as crucial all over the field yesterday as he was with his two “worldies” last week.

In contrast, all Real had to offer was their reputation and insufferable doses of braggadocio.

In the build-up, it was as if Barack Obama was in town: the phrase “Si, se puede” (yes, we can) being on most Madrileno lips when discussing the chances of overturning the 3-0 deficit.

Rice’s England teammate but Real star, Jude Bellingham, went so far as to say, “It’s nailed on.”

But Bellingham, along with his even more glittering superstar clubmate, Kylian Mbappe, failed to deliver.

Of their fearsome front trio, only Vinicius Junior showed real urgency and then only in flashes.

After early attempts to referee the game, Bellingham gave up, as did Mbappe once he was rightly denied a penalty.

In Real’s hour of need, both were peripheral figures.

Mbappe’s collapse after feeling contact by Rice was reminiscent of a building after a controlled explosion.

Full marks to a strong referee, strong enough to reverse his original decision, but why did VAR take so long?

Real have one of the world’s best keepers in Thibaut Courtois and a famous attack, but in between, they are nothing special.

At the back, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba, both 32, showed their age, but the real vacuum is in midfield, where they have yet to replace Tony Kroos and Luka Modric.

The Croatian, 38, came on for a late, ineffectual cameo, but Kroos has gone and is badly missed.

These two understated maestros made Real tick, and until successors are found, the forwards will not be as effective as they should be.

Trailing Barcelona in La Liga by four points and out of the tournament they purport to “own,” Real are in a bit of bother.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti may decide enough is enough and take the Brazil national job with which he has long been linked.

Indeed, the decision may be made for him if there’s any truth in rumours that Xabi Alonso is set to take over.

With a €1 billion Saudi offer for Vinicius still on the table, it might be time to rebuild and spend some of that black gold.

Even Real have their lulls, and you sense one of them might be around the corner.

Not enough to make Trent Alexander-Arnold change his mind, perhaps, but a transitional period could help him settle with lower expectations.

In contrast, Barcelona is on the rise with a much younger, more vibrant team, including the world’s most exciting youngster, Lamine Yamal.

Although given a reality check by Borussia Dortmund in the return leg, the Catalans prevailed for a mouthwatering clash with Inter Milan.

The Italians were too streetwise for a less-than-vintage Bayern, and so another possible trophy eludes Harry Kane.

For the German club, the current dip has also come at the wrong time, as their Allianz Arena hosts the final.

As for Arsenal, reaching only their third Champions League semi-final goes some way to making up for another failed domestic title pursuit.

The Gunners have not allowed the injuries that blighted their EPL season to spoil their sojourn into Europe, and few would rule them out as potential winners.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will be a tough test with the home leg first, but even if Mikel Arteta’s men get no further, the club will be greatly heartened by the performance so far.

PSG will have learned a lot from their close call at Aston Villa, and are probably favourites.

Their lightning counter-attacks will certainly test the Gunners’ rearguard, but claims their implosions had gone with the exit of their Galacticos were found to be false.

Villa’s fightback had them reeling, and if not for the heroics of Gianluigi Donnarumma, that reputation would have continued to haunt them.

Arsenal will never have a better chance to win Old Big Ears, and the ultimate club trophy can only help when it comes to recruiting new players.

The level they have risen to certainly augurs well for when they have a full-strength squad and should they ever find a striker, they will be challenging for the title next season.

But now that Liverpool have hung on to Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, the Reds will be hard to shift from their perch.

With Manchester City under a cloud of uncertainty, it could be these two who are the dominant forces in the EPL again next season.

But for Europe as a whole, the outlook is bright and the playing field more level than for a while.

And it’s the Gunners we have to thank for that.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.