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April 15, 2025
After being on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium last Tuesday, Real Madrid have a big task on their hands in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final clash with Arsenal. If there’s a team capable of turning it around, even in a post-Ronaldo era, then it’s the reigning champions...
Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded group of players will still fancy their chances at home, although their last six wins across all competitions have all been by a single goal margin.
With at least three goals needed on the night to keep the tie alive, the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior will need to be at the peak of their powers. Both players have scored seven goals in the competition this season and are capable of lighting up any occasion, just like Cristiano Ronaldo did during his time in Madrid.
Eduardo Camavinga’s dismissal in the first leg rules the Frenchman out of this one, though, and the Spanish giants could miss his presence in such a key area of the pitch. According to FotMob, he has more successful tackles per 90 than any other player this season (3.8).
In a game where Arsenal are expected to sit back and attempt to frustrate the home crowd, a more attacking line-up could be on the cards as Madrid look to throw the kitchen sink at their Premier League opponents.
For bettors who decide to stake on the action and use Ladbrokes bookmaker, Arsenal’s qualification isn’t a foregone conclusion. In fact, given Real Madrid’s attacking prowess, odds of 5/1 on Los Blancos to qualify are quite tempting. They’re a tough team to write off, even under these circumstances.
After all, with the world’s biggest club staring at a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the league, plus a tough encounter with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final to navigate, they’ll be going all-out in this one. Their season hinges on it.
With 46 big chances to their name - the fourth-highest in the competition - Real will have to be clinical on the night to avoid a crushing Champions League exit.
Real Madrid v Arsenal - Trailer
As for Arsenal, their reliable defence will need to be on top form at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with an attacking onslaught expected to be on the cards.
Arsene Wenger’s Gunners held firm in the Spanish capital previously, securing their spot in the 2006 Champions League final after triumphing 1-0 on aggregate courtesy of a goal from Thierry Henry. Back in the days, Ronaldo was still his first spell at Manchester United...
A similar showing is required, although it’s fair to say Arsenal don’t have a player of Henry’s quality to rely on these days.
While the return of Bukayo Saka has lifted spirits, a more solid unit is required over an attack-minded approach. Saka could therefore be asked to conduct a more defensive job, although the England international could still pose a threat on the counter attack.
Luckily, for Arsenal, they’ve already stifled numerous teams this season. Mikel Arteta’s side have only conceded 6 goals, the second-lowest in the competition. Additionally, they have 6 clean sheets to their name, highlighting their ability to grind out results.
Should the Gunners require a goal or two on the night, though, then they’re more than capable of changing their approach. According to FotMob, the North London giants have scored 2.5 goals per match, while they’ve also found the back of the net 28 times - the same amount as their opponents.
Nobody expected Arsenal to have such a stranglehold on their opponents heading into the second leg, and while the job isn’t done yet, the Gunners will feel confident they can get it over the line.
Despite Arsenal’s approach expected to revolve around defensive solidity, the Gunners are still capable of scoring against Real Madrid, a team with just one clean sheet in the 13 Champions League matches they’ve played this season.
The Spanish side will undoubtedly score on the night, although bagging the required amount of goals feels like a tall order, despite Arsenal being without key defender Gabriel Magalhaes. With that in mind, there is good value to be had in backing both teams to register in a match with over 2.5 goals scored.
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals - 17/20 with Ladbrokes
Real Madrid could easily come close to levelling the tie on the night but, equally, they could fall just short despite winning the match by 2 goals. There’s decent value to be had in either team to do just that, although Carlo Ancelotti’s side are probably the more likely of the two.
Match to be won by exactly 2 goals - 14/5 Ladbrokes
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on April 18, against Al Quadisiya, for the Saudi Pro League. You can watch Al Quaidisiya vs Al Nassr, Real Madrid vs Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona, Aston Villa vs PSG, Newcastle vs Crystal Palace and Inter vs Bayern Munich, all matches provided from our soccer streaming game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Quaidisiya vs Al Nassr kick-off time (18-04-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 23:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / fotmob.com / reuters.com
