Champions League Preview: Arsenal aim to put the final nail in Real Madrid’s coffin while the Bernabeu hopes for yet another magical night

Real Madrid will host Arsenal tomorrow in the second leg in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal will travel to the Spanish capital to face Real Madrid in the second leg in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners' will be heading into this game as the favourites to proceed to the next round, having won the previous leg comfortably by a scoreline of 3-0.

The Los Blancos' have dipped in form recently, which has impacted their hopes of winning the treble [La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey].

The biggest worry for the home side has been the disastrous dip in form of their star player Vinicius Jr, who is one of the biggest assets that the Spanish giants possess.

Arsenal, despite being able to secure only a draw against Brentford on the weekend, will be heading into the tie with confidence and momentum. Mikel Arteta is expected to go for a defensive approach in order to keep his team’s 3-0 lead intact and even possibly increase it.

Mikel Arteta’s men have been rock solid at the back, conceding only 0.5 goals per game in the Champions League this season as per ESPN. On top of that, Arsenal haven’t conceded more than 2 goals in a game since December of 2023, making it an absolutely monumental task for Los Blancos to secure a memorable turnaround.

Can Arsenal pop Real Madrid's “Champions League royalty” balloon on Wednesday?

Football is a team game, and Arsenal proved it against Real Madrid last week. Despite scoring only one goal from open play, the Gunners were far the better side in the first leg, leaving no gaps in their midfield and choking the mighty Real Madrid in the second half.

At the Emirates, the Arsenal players went for every duel and left no room for errors– something where Los Blancos thrive. This is exactly where the Gunners won the tie.

On the other hand, Real Madrid have heavily relied on individual brilliance this season, a flaw which has been exposed from time to time recently.

Their heavy dependence on star players like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr, and Jude Bellingham has seemingly decreased the chemistry and unity amongst the players in comparison to last season, where they managed to win yet another UCL title. 

On top of this, Real Madrid’s dip in form after the recent poor performances could also tip the scales completely in Arsenal’s favour.

However, Arteta and his men will surely be under a significant amount of pressure despite having a 3-goal advantage, as it wouldn’t be for the first time that the Bernabeu would witness a magical comeback if Real Madrid are able to complete a turnaround once again, like they have done many times before in the competition they love the most.