The reigning Champions League champions Real Madrid face Remontada or complete failure in their second leg against Arsenal while seeking survival in the quarterfinals to reach the semis stage.
Real Madrid have the advantage of playing at their home stadium known as Bernabeu after being defeated 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in their previous encounter.
During their training session at Arsenal Declan Rice introduced significant free kick techniques to the new Real Madrid acquisition Kylian Mbappe who is still searching for his first direct free kick goal.
The immaculate display from West Ham midfielder Declan Rice should have made ex-Real Madrid player Roberto Carlos proud during the Emirates match as he stunned the wall first with a beautiful bend then followed with a second microscopic kick which let Mikel Merino score.
Real Madrid suffered one of their rare first-round Champions League/european Cup knockout ties defeats with a three-goal deficit after their dismal North London performance.
Real Madrid suffered four eliminations in their previous five Champions League battles while Derby County gave them the lone victory in this period after beating Madrid 4-1 in the first leg of the 1975-76 Round of 16 yet winning 5-1 in the return match.
The defending champions managed only a single goal in their recent La Liga clash with Alaves, courtesy of Eduardo Camavinga, just before Kylian Mbappe received his marching orders. Still, Real haven’t drawn a blank at home in the Champions League since a December 2018 loss to CSKA Moscow.
On the other hand, Los Blancos have also failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 10 European home games—a promising stat for an Arsenal side who may need more than just solid defending to secure a semi-final spot.
Despite missing key figures like Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Magalhaes, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal put on a dazzling display to dismantle Real Madrid in London, proving themselves more than deserving of a Champions League semi-final berth — a stage they’ve only reached twice before, with the last time being back in 2009.
Their only real frustration from the first leg might be that the margin wasn’t wider. Arsenal managed 11 shots on target — the joint-most ever recorded against Real Madrid in a UCL knockout fixture — but their familiar wastefulness crept back in during the weekend’s league action.
Fielding a rotated squad, the Gunners had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a London derby against Brentford — a result that now leaves Liverpool just two victories away from clinching the Premier League title. Arsenal’s title hopes could even be mathematically ended if they stumble against Ipswich Town this weekend.
Still, the draw did extend their unbeaten run across all competitions to nine matches, and they’ve scored in each of their last eight, keeping alive the belief that they can replicate their Real Madrid masterclass.
It’s been nearly two decades since Thierry Henry’s iconic solo effort earned Arsenal a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu in 2006. The Gunners remain undefeated against Madrid in competitive fixtures — a record that could end this week, yet still see them knock the reigning champions out on their own turf.
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