Arsenal take on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointing results.
The Gunners drew 1-1 with Everton at the weekend, dealing their Premier League title challenge a real below. They did close the gap between themselves and Liverpool at the top due to the Reds’ 3-2 defeat against Fulham. However, an 11-point gap with just seven games to go doesn’t augur well.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, slumped to a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Valencia. Hugo Duro’s 95th minute goal stunned the home crowd and saw Los Blancos lose ground in the title race.
Their main rivals Barcelona may have dropped points in a 1-1 home draw against Real Betis, but the gap at the top is now four points with just eight games remaining.
ARSENAL VS REAL MADRID PREVIEW
All eyes will therefore be on the Champions League as both sides look to stake an advantage ahead of the second leg. Arsenal, in particular, will be looking to strike early as the away leg promises to be tricky.
The two sides have only played each other twice before. This was in the last-16 of the Champions League in the 2005/06 season.
Arsenal won the first leg in Madrid 1-0 then defended valiantly to claim a goalless draw at Highbury. This saw them progress 1-0 on aggregate to the quarter-finals.
The sides had differing fortunes in their last-16 ties, with Real Madrid needing penalties to knock out bitter local rivals Atletico. The Gunners, meanwhile, put nine past AZ to win 9-3 on aggregate.
Raheem Sterling is banned for Arsenal so won’t feature. Neither will defender Riccardo Calafiori. The long-term injured quartet of Gabriel Jesus (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kai Havertz (hamstring) and Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring) will also not play.
Striker Mikel Merino should feature alongside Bukayo Saka though, as the cut to the head he sustained against Everton is not serious.
Real Madrid will be without Aurelien Tchouameni through suspension. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are both out with knee issues. However, Ferland Mendy (muscle), Thibaut Courtois (muscle) and Dani Ceballos (calf) should shake off injuries and play.
ARSENAL VS REAL MADRID – PREDICTIONS
Arsenal Win
The Gunners are at home, where they are unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League games. They have kept eight clean sheets in this period while their defence is the tightest in the Premier League this season. Real Madrid have never beaten the Gunners either.
Draw
The two sides are quite evenly matched and go into this game off the back of disappointing results. Injuries have weakened both sides, but Real will really miss Tchouameni while Gabriel is a major absentee for Arsenal. This means tactics will have to change and the two sides could cancel each other out.
Real Madrid Win
Real Madrid haven’t been knocked out of the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in 21 years. They are particularly dangerous in attack, having scored 10 goals in their last four games. They also have Champions League pedigree and know exactly what it takes to secure a win in this competition. They should never be discounted.
ARSENAL VS REAL MADRID – BETTING TIPS
Draw
Gabriel’s absence is a huge below for Arsenal as Real Madrid are weak on set-pieces. This would have been a good tactical play for the Gunners. Jakub Kiwior played well in place of Gabriel at Everton over the weekend so the Gunners are still strong defensively. Ultimately, I see a game where two sides cancel each other out.
Both Teams To Score
The return of Courtois will undoubtedly strengthen Real Madrid, but the Spanish side still concede goals. They haven’t kept a clean sheet since 26 February, while both teams have scored in all but one of Real Madrid’s games since then.
Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in two games and Gabriel’s absence will undoubtedly weaken them. With the likes of Kylian Mbappé – who has scored 10 goals in 16 games against English teams including four against Manchester City earlier this season – in their ranks, it’s hard not to see Real Madrid scoring.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
- Arsenal and Real Madrid have played each other twice, with Arsenal winning one encounter and the other being a draw.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions.
- Arsenal have not lost in 10 Champions League games at the Emirates.
- Arsenal have led for 568 minutes in Champions League matches this season, which is more than any other side. The Gunners have trailed for only 65 minutes, the second-shortest amount of time after Inter Milan.
- Real Madrid have not lost the first leg of any of their last eight Champions League knockout ties (W5, D3).
- The last time Real Madrid were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League was in the 2003/04 season.
- Real Madrid have beaten 111 teams in the Champions League, but Arsenal are not one of them.
