Who: Actual Madrid vs Arsenal
What: UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, leg 2
The place: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid
When: Wednesday at 9pm native time (19:00 GMT)
Observe Al Jazeera Sport’s dwell text and photo commentary stream.
Titleholder Actual Madrid face a serious hurdle of their quest for a seventh Champions League title in 12 seasons after they host Arsenal within the return leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The Gunners, winners of 13 English top-flight league titles, lead 3-0 after dismantling the reigning champions in London final week within the quarterfinal first leg.
Prevailing from a three-goal deficit to win the quarterfinal tie can be a step additional than something Los Blancos have managed up to now, however with world-class offensive gamers like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, Madrid nonetheless have a puncher’s probability of mounting a comeback in opposition to Arsenal on house soil on the Bernabeu.
Right here is all to know earlier than the blockbuster quarterfinal return leg between the winningest Champions League facet (Actual Madrid) and essentially the most high-profile membership in Europe to by no means win the trophy (Arsenal):
Have Actual Madrid ever come again from a 3-0 deficit within the Champions League?
No. Madrid have mounted some memorable comebacks within the UEFA Champions League however have by no means overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit within the match.
Nevertheless, Madrid followers have some trigger for optimism with the next statistics – the membership has progressed from 14 of their final 15 Champions League knockout ties when enjoying the second leg at house.
How can Actual Madrid beat Arsenal and progress to the semifinal?
Following on from their 3-0 first leg defeat to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, Actual Madrid can solely full a well-known comeback and attain the semifinals if one of many following two eventualities performs out:
- Actual Madrid wins the return leg by scoring three objectives (3-3 on mixture), prevents Arsenal from scoring after which clinches the match on penalties;
- Actual Madrid wins the return leg by not less than 4 objectives in regular or further time (For instance, a 5-1 scoreline of their favour would enable Madrid to win the two-leg sequence 5-4 on mixture)
Whoever prevails from this quarterfinal will play both Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) or Aston Villa within the semis.
Staff information
Actual Madrid:
- Actual Madrid will welcome midfielder Dani Ceballos again to the squad from harm.
- Aurelien Tchouameni is offered for choice after serving a one-match UEFA ban within the first leg in opposition to the Gunners.
- Eduardo Camavinga has exceeded his Champions League yellow card restrict and will probably be unavailable in opposition to Arsenal.
- Injured defender Ferland Mendy is questionable for this match, whereas Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are unavailable.
- Actual Madrid supervisor Carlo Ancelotti will once more deploy his star-studded offensive quartet of Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham regardless of their struggles in opposition to Arsenal within the first leg at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal:
- In a optimistic signal for Arsenal, key ahead Bukayo Saka, who returned from a three-month harm layoff within the first leg in opposition to Actual Madrid, performed on the weekend in opposition to Brentford and is ready to start out in opposition to Los Blancos on Wednesday.
- Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta will possible begin Dutch worldwide Jurrien Timber, who continues to be rounding into peak kind after struggling a knee harm in opposition to Fulham earlier within the month.
- Talking after the Brentford match on Saturday, Arteta solid doubt over key midfielder Thomas Partey’s availability for the Actual Madrid return conflict. Partey stays questionable however has not been dominated out. Defensive midfielder Jorginho can also be uncertain.
- Arsenal will probably be with out 5 injured gamers: Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, who’re all out for the season, and Riccardo Calafiori.
- As within the first tie in opposition to Madrid, Arteta is ready to go along with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Partey, if out there, as his midfield trio.
- Within the ahead line, Mikel Merino, who has tallied six objectives in his final 11 video games throughout all competitions, would be the lone striker with Gabriel Martinelli and Saka enjoying simply behind the Spaniard.
Potential lineups
Actual Madrid beginning XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Rudiger, Asencio, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
Arsenal beginning XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.
Type information
Arsenal:
With the 3-0 victory over Madrid final week, Arsenal prolonged their unbeaten streak to eight in European Cup/Champions League quarterfinal ties.
The Gunners did expertise a letdown on Saturday, drawing 1-1 at house to mid-table Premier League facet Brentford.
Arsenal ends in their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
D-W-D-W-W (most up-to-date consequence first)
Actual Madrid:
Probably the most profitable Champions League group in historical past are nonetheless gunning for a treble (LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Champions League) within the 2024-25 season.
Madrid’s less-than-convincing 1-0 LaLiga win away to fourth-from-bottom Alaves on Sunday stored them in second spot on the ladder.
Actual Madrid ends in their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
W-L-L-D-W (most up-to-date consequence first)
Participant to observe: Mbappe
Actual Madrid star ahead Kylian Mbappe, 26, was despatched off within the thirty eighth minute for an unsightly lunge in his facet’s nervy victory in opposition to Alaves on Sunday. The unintended good thing about Mbappe’s early exit is that he needs to be contemporary for Wednesday’s match in opposition to Arsenal.
Mbappe has 33 objectives in 49 video games throughout all competitions this season, matching Madrid’s all-time prime aim scorer Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally in his first season on the membership.
He did not win the UEFA Champions League with PSG throughout his seven seasons on the membership and is decided to win Europe’s most prestigious trophy for Los Blancos.
Have Arsenal ever gained the Champions League trophy?
Arsenal have by no means gained the UEFA Champions League title.
They got here closest within the 2005-06 season, shedding the ultimate to Barcelona 2-1.
Quote of the day
Vinicius Jr, Actual Madrid: “Already enthusiastic about Wednesday! We’re prepared and looking out ahead to it. We’ll watch for you [Arsenal] on the Bernabeu and we’ll attempt all the things. We’re the Actual! Hala Madrid.”
