Real Madrid take on the visitors Arsenal in the second leg of UEFA Champions League round of quarterfinals. First leg result: 0-3. The match will be played on Wednesday, April 16th at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Los Blancos have alternated between brilliant campaigns and more average ones. In 2023/24, they achieved a lot: winning the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and the Champions League. This season, however, they were heavily beaten by Barcelona in the first of those competitions. To their credit, Real Madrid did add to their international trophy haul earlier in 2024 by lifting both the UEFA Super Cup and the newly revived Intercontinental Cup. But they’ve since fallen behind the same Barcelona in the La Liga title race. They reached the Copa del Rey final, where another El Clasico awaits, but their semifinal win over Real Sociedad was extremely hard-fought — needing an extra-time equalizer from Rüdiger at home to salvage a 4-4 draw after a narrow 1-0 away win. In the Champions League, Madrid made it through the group stage with some struggles, then confidently defeated Manchester City before needing penalties to edge past Atlético in the Round of 16. But their 0-3 collapse in London has put their hopes of retaining the trophy in serious doubt. Their defense has looked shaky lately, with just one clean sheet in their last five games across all competitions.
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Arsenal can now fully focus on the Champions League. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have steadily re-established themselves among England’s elite. They became Manchester City’s main challengers and returned to the Champions League last season, making it into the knockout rounds after topping their group. This time, they are again second in the Premier League, now behind Liverpool — but the title chase seems lost, as the gap is too wide. They’ve also been knocked out of the domestic cup competitions, which means they can give their full attention to Europe’s biggest stage. In the group stage, they claimed six wins and 19 points, then demolished PSV 7-1 in Eindhoven to all but settle the Round of 16 tie before a home draw. Against Real Madrid, Declan Rice surprisingly scored twice from free kicks in the first leg, helping Arsenal to a commanding 3-0 lead going into the return leg. They’ve now gone unbeaten in eight straight Champions League games, and their defense has been particularly solid. With only one goal conceded in the knockout stages so far, confidence is high. Arteta’s side has also shown it can handle big away games, beating the likes of City and Tottenham on the road this season.
These clubs last met in the 2006 Champions League knockout rounds. Arsenal then earned a 1-0 win at the Bernabéu and held on for a goalless draw in the return leg in London. Los Blancos likely won’t advance, but they’ll still want to leave with their heads held high. Expect them to push hard and take a narrow win on the night.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win.
