Arsenal vs Real Madrid prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-04-07 19:00.
[p]After another slip-up in the Premier League at the weekend, Arsenal’s only realistic chance of silverware this season comes in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). The Gunners are in the quarter-finals for a second successive season, yet despite their return of just two wins from eight ties at this stage of the competition (L6), Opta surprisingly make them slight favourites to progress past reigning champions Real Madrid.[/p]
[p]That comes in part due to their strong UCL form at the Emirates Stadium, where Mikel Arteta’s men remain unbeaten since returning to the competition last season (W8, D2). Arsenal have also won five of their last seven matches against Spanish opposition (D1, L1) and emerged victorious from their only previous tie against Madrid in 2005/06 (W1, D1). They could now become just the second English side to avoid defeat in each of their first three H2Hs against Los Blancos in this competition.[/p]
[p]Real Madrid travel to London on the back of a shock 2-1 home defeat to Valencia on Saturday which puts their La Liga title defence in jeopardy. The UCL is truly where Carlo Ancelotti’s men come alive though, with this their 23rd different H2H against Premier League opposition since the start of 2017/18 (W11, D5, L6), with two of those wins coming against Manchester City earlier this season.[/p]
[p]Los Blancos – who have progressed from each of their last 12 UCL quarter-finals – have won their last three UCL away matches outside of Madrid, scoring exactly three goals each time. They have also avoided defeat in the first leg of each of their last eight knockout ties in this competition (W5, D3), but their joint-longest such run will certainly come under threat here as Madrid’s last three UCL eliminations came at the hands of English opponents.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: After two substitute appearances, Bukayo Saka could return to the starting XI here after a long injury lay-off looking to improve on his eight career UCL goals, seven of which came on home soil including the opener in last season’s quarter-final against Bayern Munich. Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé has netted ten times in 16 games against English opponents in the UCL, four of which came in this season’s two games against Man City.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Arsenal have lost five of their last six two-legged ties against Spanish opponents.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]