Real Madrid return to Champions League action on Tuesday, April 8th, as they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of the quarter-final of the continental tournament. Los Blancos will be looking to pick up a vital advantage away from home versus a side they have never beaten in a competitive fixture ahead of next week’s return bout at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The Merengues come into the game off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Valencia in La Liga and have won just two of their last five matches in all competitions. Their defensive form is especially concerning with the team letting in eight goals in the previous three games.
Carlo Ancelotti will be bolstered by Thibaut Courtois’ return in goal, however, after the Belgian missed the last three games due to muscular discomfort.
Though the former Chelsea star is set to return to the fore, his understudy Andriy Lunin misses out from the squad, as do Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni is also unavailable as a result of a suspension he picked up in the second leg of the Round of 16 against Atletico Madrid in the team’s last Champions League outing.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are Real Madrid’s top goal-scorers in the ongoing edition of the European Cup with seven goals apiece. The forwards will be under tremendous pressure to deliver against Arsenal after being unimpressive over both legs of the Atletico Madrid tie, while the Brazilian’s form has particularly been concerning as he missed a penalty at the weekend against Valencia too.
Arsenal also come to the game with only two wins to their name in their last five games in all competitions. The Gunners were held by Everton to a 1-1 draw at the weekend in the Premier League and have struggled in the final third with just seven goals to their name over that run of fixtures. Bukayo Saka’s return to fitness is big news for them, however, and he could start against Los Merengues.
That’s not to say the Londoners have no injury issues. They are set to be without Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu, whereas Raheem Sterling is suspended too. Saka is Arsenal’s most productive player in the final third with four goals and two assists to his name in the 2024/25 season of the Champions League.
Carlo Ancelotti will hope his players can put forth their best foot forward in the Champions League after three back-to-back underwhelming displays since the international break ended.
An exciting European Cup game awaits at the Emirates Stadium and it will be interesting to see whether Real Madrid, the team with their winning pedigree turns up in London, or if it is the same lousy side which has struggled in recent games.
