Real Madrid vs Arsenal Preview: Team News & Prediction
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On many occasions in recent times, the phrase ‘they can’t win this one’ has been applied to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League – and yet they have almost always gone on to win.
Kick-off date/time: Wednesday 16th April, 2025: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Real Madrid Preview: Summoning the spirit
Carlo Ancelotti has a squad that doesn’t make much sense on paper and their performances have shown that throughout the season. Los Blancos still somehow remain in contention to win the treble this season but the first of those three could go as soon as this week.
In the first-leg of this UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie at the Emirates Stadium in north London last week, Arsenal produced an impressive second-half performance to dispatch of Real Madrid by three goals to nil and take a massive step towards the semi-finals.
Arsenal Preview: Gunning for more
England international Declan Rice scored a brace of frankly remarkable free-kicks before Mikel Merino notched late on for the Gunners, too. Arsenal haven’t played in a UEFA Champions League semi-final since losing to Manchester United in the 2010/11 campaign.
Arsenal once again drew in the Premier League at the weekend, being pegged back to a 1-1 draw by capital city rivals Brentford after the same happened the week before against Everton at Goodison Park. That means they are 13 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool.
Real Madrid Team News: Camavinga suspended
As one France international midfielder returns from suspension in Aurelien Tchouameni, another is forced to miss this week due to a suspension of his own following Eduardo Camavinga's red card for two yellow cards last weekend. They also remain without the likes of Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal due to injury.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Garcia; Modric, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Unavailable: Militao (Injured), Dani Carvajal (Injured), Camavinga (Suspended)
Questionable: Lunin (Injured), Mendy (Injured)
Arsenal Team News: Partey a doubt
Mikel Arteta confirmed that Thomas Partey felt 'something' in an apparently comical answer, according to the press that were assembled to hear it, against Brentford and is now a doubt for the trip to the Bernabeu. As well as the Ghanaian, both Ben White and Jorginho are also doubtful for the Gunners.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Unavailable: Gabriel (Injured), Calafiori (Injured), Tomiyasu (Injured), Havertz (Injured), Jesus (Injured)
Questionable: White (Injured), Jorginho (Injured), Partey (Injured)
Real Madrid vs Arsenal Prediction
If this was a first-leg at 0-0 then Arsenal would head to the Bernabeu and simply look to keep things tight, and probably succeed in doing so whilst also potentially nicking a goal on the counter-attack. However, the dynamic is completely different and there will be a temptation to sit too deeply and simply frustrate a Madrid side that we know only need a few minutes to turn a tie like this on its head. Arsenal should come out on top in the tie but Madrid winning on the night remains likely.
Real Madrid vs Arsenal Tip: Real Madrid to win