Football fans across the globe got their UEFA Champions League 2025/26 campaign’s quarter-finalists on Wednesday evening. There are some mouthwatering ties that will be witnessed next month.
One of those is of Arsenal against Real Madrid. The Gunners booked their spot in the last eight on Wednesday night with an incredible 9-3 win on aggregate against PSV Eindhoven. Holders Los Blancos required a penalty shootout to eliminate their city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal will be at home for their quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday April 8 before playing the second leg in Madrid on Wednesday, April 16. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will surely head into the quarter-final tie as big favourites given their history in the Champions League, but they cannot afford to make the mistake of taking the North Londoners lightly.
That being said, here are three things to look forward to when Arsenal face Real Madrid next month.
- Can Arsenal’s defence stop Real Madrid’s attack?
Arsenal boasts of the best defensive record in the Premier League this season. During the Champions League’s league phase, they had the second-best defensive record with just three goals conceded in eight games.
Indeed, Mikel Arteta’s side are a tough nut to crack but they will come up against arguably the most fearsome attacking trio across Europe in Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo Goes. They have everything in their game to rip apart any defence, provided the troika click together as a unit, something which didn’t happen against a well-drilled Atletico Madrid defence.
For Arsenal, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have enjoyed another impressive season as a pair at the back. Jurrien Timber has cemented his spot at right-back in Ben White’s injury absence, while academy kid Myles Lewis-Skelly is relishing his breakout season with the senior team. Supported ably by goalkeeper David Raya, the Gunners will back themselves to nullify Madrid’s triple threat.
- Real Madrid’s midfield at the Emirates Stadium
Carlo Ancelotti opted for a midfield trio of Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday. Due to Atletico sitting in a low block and trying to hit on the counter-attack, Real’s midfield trio found it difficult to pass through the lines and create openings.
Tchouameni had a poor game while Modric just could not find those killer passes in the final third. Bellingham tried to link play and made smart runs in the box, but Atletico defended extremely well on the night. Arsenal are not expected to defend as deep as Diego Simeone’s side did, which could see Ancelotti make changes to his midfield unit in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
- Who starts at left-back for Arsenal?
Arsenal fans have been witnessing the breakout of two Hale End graduates this season—Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Both youngsters have largely benefited from injury problems to senior players in their respective positions.
Lewis-Skelly has performed very well and is now considered the first-choice left-back. Riccardo Calafiori—a summer recruit from Bologna—has endured an injury-hit debut season at the Emirates Stadium. After battling his fair share of injury issues, the Italian is now healthy and competing well with the Arsenal academy talent for the left-back spot.
Arteta does have Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney as options too, with both starting in the second leg in a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven in North London. However, it is very unlikely either of them gets the nod to start at left-back against Madrid. So, the competition will be between Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori, and whoever the left-back is in the first leg next month has to be on his toes to deal with a top talent in Rodrygo.
