Arsenal welcome Real Madrid to the Emirates
The perennial Champions League winners meet the perpetual European also-rans in Tuesday’s colossal continental tie, as Arsenal welcome Real Madrid to the Emirates for the first leg of their quarter-final.
The Gunners put nine past PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 to storm into the final eight for the second year running, while the holders needed the lottery of penalties to edge out fierce rivals Atletico Madrid.
Indeed, the North London giants have avoided defeat in each of their last 10 Champions League games at the Emirates – securing eight clean sheets in that time – and Real Madrid’s preparations for their first-ever competitive game at the stadium have been anything but ideal.
For as long as the stoic Carlo Ancelotti mans the Real Madrid touchline, Los Blancos will ostensibly always find a way in the Champions League, and so it proved in the second leg of their closely-contested last-16 showdown with city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Not since the 2003-04 season have Real Madrid been knocked out in the quarter-final stage – winning each of their last 12 two-legged ties at this juncture – but Ancelotti’s men have been humbled ever so slightly in their last two domestic outings.
Of course, Arsenal are no strangers to Madrid masterclasses – Thierry Henry‘s sensational solo goal from their 1-0 win in 2006 will no doubt be played on repeat from now until kickoff – and a 0-0 draw at Highbury in the return leg means that the Gunners have never lost to Real Madrid in a competitive game.
It is never too late for revenge in football, though, and if Real Madrid can make Arsenal the 112th different team they have beaten in the Champions League on Tuesday night, another trophy-less season will await Arteta’s Arsenal barring a miraculous second-leg turnaround.
A quartet of long-term Arsenal absentees – Gabriel Jesus (knee), Kai Havertz (hamstring), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring) – will watch on helplessly this week.
However, Arteta allayed fears over a new issue for makeshift striker Mikel Merino at Goodison Park; the Spaniard suffered a cut to his head but should be given the green light to line up in a Bukayo Saka-reinforced attack.
Defence should have been the best form of attack for Arsenal before Gabriel and Calafiori’s crushing blows; the former’s absence means that the Gunners will also not be able to fully capitalise on Real Madrid’s set-piece failings, which were exposed by Valencia at the weekend.
However, as Arsenal only conceded at the weekend due to a contentious penalty, and Jakub Kiwior inspired confidence with his display in Gabriel’s shoes, we have faith in Arteta’s men to claim a draw in front of the raucous North London crowd, albeit one that will mean advantage Real Madrid for the Bernabeu battle.
Credit: .sportsmole.co.uk
Bayern Munich, Inter Milan square off for semi-finals place
Nearly 15 years on from locking horns in the 2009-10 Champions League final, Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich and Serie A champions Inter Milan square off for a place in this year’s semi-finals, starting with Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg at the Allianz Arena.
Vincent Kompany‘s men triumphed in an all-German battle with Bayer Leverkusen to advance to the final eight, while the Nerazzurri ended Feyenoord’s European journey in the last 16.
Fifty percent of Bayern’s revenge mission over Leverkusen is now complete; as well as holding an unassailable lead over Xabi Alonso‘s 2023-24 Invincibles at the top of the Bundesliga table, the Munich mammoths ended Die Werkself’s hopes of Champions League supremacy a few weeks ago.
In fact, the Bavarians are the only team to have progressed to the last eight in every tournament since 2019-20 – coincidentally the year of their last European success – thanks in no small part to an astounding home record, going unbeaten in their last 22 UCL games at the Allianz Arena.
Still on course for a domestic and European double, Bayern emerged 3-1 winners from their trip to Augsburg on Friday night, meaning that they remain six points clear of Leverkusen could reclaim their rightful Bundesliga title in just three games’ time.
While Bayern’s tally of 28 goals in the 2024-25 Champions League is second only to Barcelona’s 32, Simone Inzaghi‘s Inter have produced many a rearguard masterclass, conceding a mere two goals in their 10 tournament games so far this term.
Inter are long overdue another slice of success on the continental stage, having won their third and most recent Champions League title against none other than Bayern in 2010, but their aforementioned defensive prowess failed them in Saturday’s league meeting with Parma.
The 2009-10 finalists last locked horns in the 2022-23 group stage, where Bayern prevailed 2-0 home and away, and the Germans can look forward to a semi-final bout with Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund if they can repeat the trick over the next fortnight.
The very definition of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, Tuesday’s battle will be nothing short of a fascinating fight between an attack-minded Bayern and a defensively-sound Inter.
Absentees and knocks on both sides could impact both managers’ game plans, though, and even with Musiala not strutting his stuff in the final third, we can still picture a Kane and Michael Olise-inspired Bayern taking a slender lead to San Siro.
Credit: .sportsmole.co.uk
Break good for me mentally -Saka
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka says his enforced break with a hamstring injury was “really good” for him mentally.
Saka was introduced at half-time against Everton at the weekend as he builds up his fitness from an injury that kept him out for 101 days.
Saka, 23, scored on his return in Arsenal’s win against Fulham last week before his 45 minutes of football at the weekend.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said Saka would be in a “much better place” to start against Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.
“I think mentally it was really good for me.” Saka said of the enforced break.
“Obviously it was really tough for me initially to find out the extent of my injury and that I was going to have surgery but once it was done and successful I was just focused on coming back stronger.
“The past five years I’ve been playing game after game so it was the first proper break I’ve had. It was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t normally do.
“It’s really nice to be back and I feel fresh mentally.” Saka said.
The England international will be into the final two years of his contract this summer but played down any worries about his future.
“I want to win and I want to win wearing this badge so I think it’s pretty clear,” he said.
“The fans know how much I love them and you saw on Tuesday I think they loved me back so it’s a good relationship and I’m really happy to be here. I’m just focused on winning.”
Credit: bbc.com
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