Arsenal are headed to Spain up 3–0 on aggregate to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie.
Real Madrid might be the defending European champions, but Arsenal completely got the better of the Spanish giants in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Two brilliant free kicks from Declan Rice led the way in the Gunners' 3–0 victory over Real Madrid at the Emirates.
One week later, the two clubs are set to clash at the Santiago Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti will be thrilled to have Dani Ceballos and Aurélien Tchouaméni back in his squad, but he still will need massive performances from his star-studded attack to mount a comeback against Arsenal.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are in firm control of the tie and must now just finish the job in Madrid. Standing between Arsenal and a trip to the semifinals, though, is the European magic of the Santiago Bernabéu.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the second leg between Real Madrid and Arsenal.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Arsenal Kick-Off?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
- Date: Wednesday, Apr. 16
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CET
Arsenal vs. Real Madrid Head-to-Head Record
- Arsenal: 2 wins
- Real Madrid: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
Last meeting: Arsenal 3–0 Real Madrid (Apr. 8, 2025), Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Arsenal
Real Madrid Team News
Real Madrid's midfield is in for a huge boost with the return of Tchouaméni and Ceballos. The Frenchman is back from serving his one-game suspension from yellow card accumulation and Ceballos has fully recovered from injury. Ancelotti will be without Eduardo Camavinga, though, after the midfielder was sent off in the dying moments of the first leg.
Once again, Ancelotti's major decision comes down to his two fullbacks. Both Lucas Vázquez and Fran García are in contention to start, but the Spaniard will likely stick with Fede Valverde at right back and David Alaba at left back.
Ferland Mendy, Andriy Lunin, Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal remain sidelined with various injuries.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rüdiger, Alaba; Tchouaméni, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé
Arsenal Team News
Alarm bells sounded at the weekend when both Thomas Partey and Jorginho suffered minor injuries in Arsenal's 1–1 draw against Brentford. Ben White also missed the clash after suffering a knock in training.
The good news for the Gunners is that both Partey and White returned to training and are set to travel to Madrid. Jorginho remains a doubt and will likely join the injured Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines.
Should Partey be fit enough to start, expect Mikel Arteta to deploy an unchanged side to the one that dominated Real Madrid in London.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Real Madrid vs. Arsenal Score Prediction
Real Madrid seem poised to bounce back from their defeat in the first leg, but it is hard to imagine Ancelotti's men scoring enough goals to advance to the semifinals. Arsenal have gone 78 matches without conceding more than two goals and Real Madrid have scored more than two goals just twice in their last 12 matches.
Los Blancos also have kept just one clean sheet in their previous 10 matches, leaving the door wide open for Arsenal to bury a goal that could be the final nail in the coffin for Real Madrid's Champions League title defense.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2–1 Arsenal
READ THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid vs. Arsenal: Preview, Predictions, Lineups, TV.
