April Champions League action can only indicate that the greatest competition in European football is coming to a close for another season.
Even though 36 clubs competed in a broader league phase under the new system, there is a sense of familiarity in the knockout stages as six of the quarterfinalists from the previous year made it to the final eight once more. The only alterations are that Manchester City and Atlético Madrid have been replaced by Aston Villa and Inter.
According to Opta’s Power Rankings, which rank more than 13,000 club teams worldwide based on results, with zero being the worst and 100 the best, Barcelona is the 20% favourite to win the trophy at Munich’s Allianz Arena in May.
The first leg of Real Madrid’s quarterfinal matchup with English powerhouse Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 will take place at the Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday.
In the previous round of the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal, who have never won the competition, defeated PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands 9-3 on aggregate to go to the quarterfinals.
After being ousted from the League Cup and FA Cup earlier in the season, Arsenal’s only realistic chance of taking home any hardware this season is in the UEFA Champions League.
After the previous round ended 2- after extra time, Real Madrid, the UEFA Champions League winners, defeated city rivals Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties.
Arsenal will travel to the Santiago Bernabèu for the second leg on Thursday, April 17, following the club’s first meeting on Wednesday.
Interestingly, in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid has never defeated Arsenal. In the 2005-06 season, they faced each other twice in the round of 16. The Gunners drew 0-0 at home before defeating Real 1-0 away from home due to a goal from Thierry Henry.
Real Madrid Provides an Update on Thibaut Courtois on the Night Before Their Champions League Matchup with Arsenal
Arsenal’s Champion League Matchup with Real Madrid on Tuesday is going to be even more challenging. Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, anticipates that Thibaut Courtois, his first-choice custodian, will be healthy for their journey to the Emirates his week.
Due to a muscular ailment sustained during the international break, the Belgian international missed four of their previous six games before returning to training on Sunday.
Real Madrid’s unexpected 2-1 loss to Valencia in the 95th minute cost them ground in the title race. Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, probably kept a close eye out for any signs of weakness before their Champions League Matchup.
Due to injury issues, both teams are missing important players, especially in defence. Arteta will be without the talismanic Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori at the rear, while Ancelotti has Aurelien Tchoumeni suspended and Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao out due to injury.
