Thierry Henry has told Arsenal the only way they can cause an upset and dethrone reigning champions Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, insisting his Gunners team were able to do it “less talent” back in 2006.
Real Madrid made it through to the last eight after a hugely controversial penalty shootout win over city rivals Atletico on Wednesday night, with Julian Alvarez’s effort ruled out for a double-kick.
Arsenal, however, breezed past Dutch outfit PSV 9-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw at The Emirates to set up a blockbuster tie against the 15-time winners.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are big favourites to progress to semis but Henry, who scored a memorable solo goal at the Bernabeu that ultimately sealed a 1-0 aggregate win over the Spanish giants 19 years ago, insists his old club must “believe” they can do it, like fellow underdogs Leicester City and Greece.
Asked how Arsenal could potentially upset the odds, Henry said: “Believe that you can. I’ve been in that situation with a team with a tiny bit less talent I will be honest when we drew Real Madrid everyone laughed, especially in Spain.
“If you there believing you cannot beat Real Madrid and they are already better than you, better team, better squad, they have 15 on the sleeve and we have none, you may as well not go and play if you don’t think you can beat them.
“If you arrive in front of Real Madrid thinking let’s see what’s going to happen you might as well not go. I do believe that you go into a game believing you can win this is what dreams are made of this is what you are thinking of.
“I’ve seen Greece winning the Euros, I’ve seen Leicester winning the league just believe that you can that’s what I’m saying. Are you going to do it? That’s a different ball game.
“Look at how Atletico beat them they played them more than well so many times and it still wasn’t enough. I’ve seen City play Real Madrid so many times, so well and it still wasn’t enough.
“If you go there without the belief you can win stay at home. We’ve seen teams being good defensively, offensively, not in the tunnel, to beat Real Madrid you need the perfect game from minute one right when the referee blows the whistle.
“It has to be the perfect game if you want to knock out Real Madrid. Even if you are perfect it might not be enough, now it’s on the team to show if they can do it at home and then away that’s a tough task.”
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Meanwhile, Real legend Luka Modric warned his Real teammates why they cannot afford to become sidetracked by the thought of taking on a ‘good’ Arsenal side.
Modric, who was part of the last Tottenham team to win a Premier League game at The Emirates Stadium back in 2010, admits he won’t be taking anything for granted ahead of the opening contest next month.
“Well we will see, there’s still a long way to go until that match,” said the 39-year-old after Real’s narrow escape against Atletico.
“Now we have to focus on Villarreal and go calmly with the international break.
“Arsenal is a very good team and it’s going to be another interesting knockout round. But as I’ve said we need to prepare for Villarreal first, we have to win there and then we will take the time to think about Arsenal.”
Arsenal reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years last season before narrowly crashing out to Bayern Munich, and Mikel Arteta learned a lot from that experience.
The Gunners boss said: “Last year we played Bayern, and with the history of those clubs and how consistently in the last 20-25 years being there, and we were riding there in the home game, we had them on the ropes.
“They escaped and when we were there we were a bit short to get to that final stage. So hopefully we will learn we are better than then and we can make it happen.”
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