Arsenal and Real Madrid are set to clash in the Champions League after many years. Almost two decades after the last and only duel in the top continental competition, in the round of 16 of 05-06, both teams meet again.
Back then, the Henry, Hleb, Cesc, Lehmann, Reyes, Ljungberg and company eliminated the Casillas, Zidane, Robinho, Ronaldo, Beckham and company. Now the protagonists will be players who at that time were children who dreamed of playing those mythical Champions League duels.
Real Madrid arrives at the duel hit after the painful league setback against Valencia that moves them a little further away from Barcelona and complicates their goal of revalidating the league title. Of course, the Champions League is another story for the “Blanco” (White) team, which months ago picked up cruising speed in Europe. After an irregular start, they have won six of their last seven games and have eliminated City and Atlético.
Ancelotti recovers Courtois under the sticks and must solve some doubts in the eleven, mainly on the left side and in the vacancy left by Tchouaméni, sanctioned, in the center of the field. Lunin, Mendy, Ceballos, Carvajal and Militao complete Madrid’s casualties for the appointment of the Emirates.
The revelation of the competition
Arsenal is one of the revelation teams of the Champions League. They qualified among the top eight after winning six of the eight matches of the League phase, one of them against PSG and surpassed the tie against PSV after starring in the first leg the rout of the current edition of the competition, a 1-7 with which they sentenced the pairing by the fast track.
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“It’s the great history that Madrid has, you can’t ignore that. But they haven’t always been successful. Some games they don’t win so we can compete against anyone. We have to write our own history now,” warned Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, in the preview of the clash.
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Predicted lineups
- Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Merino.
- Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rüdiger, Alaba; Camavinga, Modric, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinicius.
