Arguably the most intriguing quarterfinal matchup in this first year of the new UEFA Champions League tournament format is the one between English giants Arsenal and possibly the biggest club on the planet in the UCL. It’s quite a dichotomy we’ve got going here between the two teams, so the two-leg matchup—which begins with Leg 1 in London on April 8—should be very intriguing.
Arsenal Injury News
Arsenal have had a truly injury-plagued season after a couple of pretty clean campaigns in 2023-2024. The injuries, unfortunately, have come almost exclusively to the front line attackers. Arsenal were without their top four attacking options for over a month. However, some have started to trickle back.
Strikers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are both out for the season with ACL and hamstring tears. Left winger Gabriel Martinelli missed over a month with a hamstring issue, but he has returned recently and should be good to start against Madrid. The biggest news, however, is that Arsenal’s “Starboy”, Bukayo Saka, returned to the pitch for Arsenal on April 1 against Fulham.
Saka is the Gunners’ talisman, and his return will be a massive jolt to the Arsenal as a whole. He had previously missed several months with a torn hamstring. Right back Jurrien Timber will also be available after missing some time with illness, though left back Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt with another knee ailment.
Real Madrid Injury News
Interestingly, while most of Arsenal’s major injuries have come to their attacking players, Real Madrid has seen their defensive line take the biggest hit at the training table. Two of their starting defenders, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal, have been out for months with brutal knee injuries that saw multiple torn ligaments.
Ferland Mendy has been one of the ones filling in, but then he also hit the shelf with a hamstring issue. Midfielder Dani Ceballos, who spent two seasons on loan with Arsenal from 2019-2021, suffered a left leg tendon injury and has also missed some time.
While Ceballos wasn’t supposed to be back until the end of April, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti recently said that both Mendy and he are targeting this Arsenal match on April 8 as their return date. Keeper Thibaut Courtois also recently picked up a knock, but Ancelotti says he shouldn’t miss any significant time either.
Arsenal-Real Madrid History
Real Madrid not only dominate in La Liga in Spain, they have dominated the continental game for several decades now. Their 15 CL trophies are more than double the next best team. Arsenal, meanwhile, has never won the competition and is attempting to rebrand themselves in Europe under Mikel Arteta.
They have reached the quarterfinal of the competition in back-to-back years for the first time in a decade and a half. Arsenal will be looking to make it to the semifinal for the first time since they were controversial runners-up to Barcelona in 2006.
These two clubs, believe it or not, have only faced off in two matches. Both came as part of their two-legged clash in the Round of 16 during Arsenal’s run to the Final in 2006. Arsenal triumphed by winning 1-0 at the Bernabeu in the first leg before parking the bus in the second leg to earn the 0-0 draw and advance to the quarterfinal. The English club would be over the moon with a repeat of those events from 19 years ago.
Preview & Betting Pick
Real Madrid comes into this in perhaps their best form of the season. Prior to their Copa Del Rey matchup on April 1, they had won four of their last five La Liga games while also eliminating both Man City and Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.
Arsenal, for their part, have just been muddling through in the league. They have really struggled to find goals with all of their attacking injuries, which has meant two wins, two draws, and a defeat in their last five PL matches. They demolished PSV 9-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 during that span as well.
What we have here is a true defense vs. attack, control vs. dynamism, England vs. Spain showdown here. Arsenal have one of the best defenses in the league, while Madrid has one of the most explosive and star-studded offenses headlined by Vini Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo. Arsenal center halves William Saliba and Gabriel are sure to have their hands full.
However, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both back, the Gunners—who are favored to win the first leg at home but lose the tie overall according to most online betting sites—actually have a better chance of coming out on top after two legs than many might think.
This is a different, more hardened Arsenal than the flowery teams of Arsene Wenger’s past. These Gunners don’t fold against top competition. In fact, if the PL is anything to go off of, they have more success against the top teams than against the dregs of the league.
Why? Because Mikel Arteta’s team struggles mightily to pick the lock when opponents choose to set up in a mid or low block. That’s why Arsenal’s attack has seemed so much more potent in Europe: teams from other countries are willing to actually play Arsenal rather than sit back and hope for a counter opportunity like most teams in the PL (even the good ones).
That’s also why many expert soccer picks are approaching this tie with caution. While Real Madrid have more individual stars, Arsenal’s collective discipline, structure, and recent Champions League form give them a legitimate shot at pulling the upset over two legs.
Ancelotti and Real Madrid sit back for no man, which offers Arsenal’s rejuvenated attack the chance to play a bit more freely without having to navigate the low blocks they struggle with. Expect Madrid’s exciting style of play to win out on the pitch for both teams—but not necessarily on the final scoreboard.
m struggles mightily to pick the lock when opponents choose to set up in a mid or low block. That’s why Arsenal’s attack has seemed so much more potent in Europe: teams from other countries are willing to actually play Arsenal rather than sit back and hope for a counter opportunity like most teams in the PL (even the good ones).
Ancelotti and Real Madrid sit back for no man, which offers Arsenal’s rejuvenated attack the chance to play a bit more freely without having to navigate the low blocks they struggle with. Expect Madrid’s exciting style of play to win out on the pitch for both teams—but not necessarily on the final scoreboard.
What’s Next
The first leg of this juicy quarter final will take place at Arsenal’s home at the Emirates Stadium in London on April 8. The return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid will take place just over a week later on April 16.
In Premier League play, Arsenal will visit Everton on April 5 and host Brentford on April 12 between the two CL fixtures. Real Madrid, meanwhile, will host Valencia on April 5 in La Liga play and will visit Alaves on April 13 as their mid-Champions League intermission.
Follow live scores, real-time match updates, and player statistics on Xscores to stay updated throughout the week.