‘I think’: Gary Lineker says whether he thinks Arsenal can beat Real Madrid in the Champions League

After beating Fulham 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal now have one more fixture before their Champions League tie with Real Madrid begins.

Over the international break a lot of the Arsenal related talk has been surrounding new sporting director Andrea Berta and the players he might buy in the summer.

However, club football has finally returned in N5 and Arsenal will now have one eye firmly on their tie with the Champions League’s current holders.

Fortunately, Bukayo Saka returned with a goal against Fulham – the perfect return for a player who’s become the heartbeat of Mikel Arteta’s side.

That being said, Arteta provided an injury update on Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber immediately after the game, two defenders the Gunners would be loath to miss next week. 

Gary Lineker discusses Arsenal’s chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League

Without trying to overlook Arsenal’s trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday, Gary Lineker has already begun to discuss the Gunners’ chances of overcoming Real Madrid in their upcoming two-legged tie.

Lineker was speaking on the ‘The Rest Is Football’ the victory over Fulham and expressed his belief that Arsenal can cause an upset – he wasn’t convinced Real Madrid were quite at their best right now.

Lineker said: “The thing is, when you play Real Madrid, the name of Real Madrid can be slightly intimidating, I think. 

“And that’s what Arsenal have got to beat, they’ve got to believe in themselves to win that game – I think they can.

READ MORE: Ian Wright shares what Mikel Arteta has already told him about Andrea Berta at Arsenal

“Real Madrid have not been brilliant in the last two or three months, they’ve had good results and bad results.

“But in La Liga, they’re still behind Barcelona, having had quite a good lead a couple of months ago.

“So they’ve had some poor results, so Arsenal should go into that feeling that they’ve got a chance.

“Obviously, Real Madrid will be favorites – they’re the monsters in this competition. They’re so difficult to beat and they seem to somehow manage it, whether it’s through sheer will and grit or some lucky thing.

“We always say that in Barcelona, they’re the luckiest team on the planet, but they’ve got great players.

“But the fact that they didn’t even qualify automatically into the Champions League in the top eight, suggests they’re not actually quite the finished article at present.

“So I think Arsenal have got a real chance in that.”

Mikel Arteta laments Arsenal’s latest injury crisis

As mentioned, Arsenal appeared to lose Gabriel for at least the first leg of their tie with Real Madrid after the Brazilian pulled up with a hamstring issue in the first half against Fulham.

Timber wasn’t fully fit for Arsenal but he played anyway – a sign of the Dutchman’s commitment to the cause.

Fans will hope that Timber will therefore be fit after some more recovery, but he has to be considered a doubt for Everton.

Of course, with these issues it would be the perfect time for the likes of Riccardo Calafiori or Ben White to come in.

Unfortunately both are missing with knee issues – Arteta’s side aren’t having a lot of luck right now.

And although Jakub Kiwior is ready to leave Arsenal, perhaps he will still play a vital role for the side before the season ends.