Arsenal won’t be catching Liverpool in the Premier League title race and that means there is extra focus for Mikel Arteta on his side’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Having rested Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka ahead of the first game at the Emirates Stadium, a clear message was sent. Arsenal has given up hope in the league, with the only thing left to fight for a first Champions League trophy win.
Doing so will mean knocking out the favorite for the tournament, with a semi-final place against either PSG or Aston Villa at stake. It promises to be a brilliant encounter both this week and next.
Fans wanting to watch the first leg in England will be able to do so via Amazon Prime. Those wanting to watch will need access to the streaming platform where it can be viewed through the app. In the US, the game will be shown on Paramount+, again available to stream via the company’s usual channels.
Arsenal will be without Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu through injury with Odegaard and Saka likely to start. Arteta is going to need Jakub Kiwior to step up and play at the back alongside William Saliba.
“Tonight’s game is going to be a big battle and a huge test,” Odegaard said ahead of the game. “It’s moments like this that you live for as a player.
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“Growing up you always watch the Champions League, and the special atmosphere of night games. Players dream of moments like this for their whole life, so it’s up to us to make sure we enjoy it and put everything we can into the game.
“It’s a special one for me as well, playing against my old club for the first time. I still have a lot of friends at the club, and a lot of the staff are still there from when I was there.
“It’s the same coach as well of course, who was there when I played there. The assistants, physios, some of the players too, lots of people that I still speak to, so it will be nice to see them again — it’s another reason to look forward to the game.”
Real Madrid will be missing Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Andriy Lunin, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos through injuries. Aurelien Tchouameni, the French midfielder once courted by Liverpool, is suspended.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered a shock loss against Valencia over the weekend when Liverpool-bound Giorgi Mamardashvili was the hero, saving a penalty from Vinicius Junior. But Real Madrid is still a formidable opponent, particularly over two legs.
Rodrygo, Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe are huge threats on the counter-attack. Mbappe has been in fine form in recent weeks, and so too has Jude Bellingham. The England international will be desperate to show off what he can do against Premier League opposition.
If Arsenal is to progress, it will need a huge effort over the two games, where it would be stepping into unchartered territory. Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan is the other quarter-final today; PSG plays Aston Villa and Barcelona hosts Borussia Dortmund tomorrow.
