It’s been 19 years since Arsenal and Real Madrid cooked up in the UEFA Champions League, yet the football gods are a joker and timing is everything. The memory-packed, drama-packed quarterfinal matchup includes it as a rematch of nostalgia. Thierry Henry’s magical solo goal at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2006—that goal took Arsenal to the semi-finals and eventually the final—still haunts many Arsenal fans. Real Madrid fans? Not so much. In fact, that game started Los Blancos six straight years of round of 16 heartbreak. Ouch.
🚨BREAKING: Myles Lewis-Skelly has been called up to the England senior squad for the first time by Thomas Tuchel at 18-years-old. pic.twitter.com/rymFk8Mdio
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) March 14, 2025
This is the next specific level. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is desperate to make a statement with its best display on the European stage. The ultimate Champions League royalty, Real Madrid, is looking to extend their overflowing cabinet with another jewel. Nevertheless, both teams arrive at the tie hobbling with injury problems that could disrupt their intentions.
Injury Woes: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
Kai Havertz is out for the season with a hamstring injury, and that will see their highest scorer absent, too: Arsenal. However, Gabriel Jesus will not be making any dramatic comebacks, as he will be watching from the sidelines, as his torn cruciate ligament put paid to that thought. Fortunately, on the bright side, Bukayo Saka could be back just in time to send everyone to the creek for Madrid’s rearguard after an extended spell out of the fray.
Neither is Real Madrid at full strength, either. Aurélien Tchouaméni will miss the first leg through suspension; Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos are both troubled by a thigh problem. Long story short, both teams are showing up to the party with their bandages and their hope.
Arsenal: A Tale of Two Schedules
The calendar is one surface on which Arsenal has a clear advantage. There, the Gunners can dedicate their plans to the Champions League after their FA Cup and League Cup dreams have already been buried. The Premier League title race? For Arsenal fans, it means going through the lottery of European glory, with Liverpool’s 15 points clear.
In the meantime, Real Madrid has further Copa del Rey work to do, with their resumption of the competition’s semi-final replay against Real Sociedad arriving only eight days before the visit to the Emirates. Will the additional work relax them or focus them? Time and tired legs will tell.
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