Real Madrid vs Arsenal: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Arsenal’s excellent home leg victory against Los Blancos places them as heavy favourites to progress to their first UEFA Champions League semi-final since 2009. Real Madrid will be expected to make it difficult on the night. However, we are leaning towards an Arsenal aggregate victory in the tie.

In recent years, Real Madrid have shown their capability of performing miracle comebacks against English opposition, especially at the Bernabeu, and the home side have a great home record in their domestic league with 12 wins from 15 on home soil. Los Blancos have also won their last three matches at home in this competition.

Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their previous nine matches but have drawn four of their last seven games in all competitions. With Arsenal having a comfortable 3-0 lead, it will be widely expected that the Gunners will adopt a more pragmatic approach to this game.

We are going for a home win on the night. Real Madrid will try to throw everything at Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s side can go a more defensive route against Los Blancos to ensure progression on the night.

Both teams have scored in six of the last eight games involving the Gunners, so we are going for a 2-1 win here for Real Madrid, but Arsenal to progress.

Real Madrid 2-1 Arsenal (Arsenal to win 4-2 on aggregate)

Arsenal are heavy favourites to secure their spot in the final four of the UEFA Champions League when they take on current champions Real Madrid, who must overcome a three-goal deficit.

Date: 16/04/2025
Location: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.
Kick-Off: 8 pm

Real Madrid faces an impossible task to overcome an Arsenal side that has the second best defensive record with only three goals conceded in the Champions League league phase. Only Inter Milan, with one goal conceded, had a better record. The first-leg was an emphatic statement by the Gunners, running out unexpected 3-0 winners and producing one of the best performances against Real Madrid an English team has imposed on the European Champions, since Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Los Blancos two seasons ago. The game was about Declan Rice, who produced two unbelievable free kicks to establish a two-goal lead for the Gunners. Mikel Merino provided a swift finish to give Arsenal a three-goal advantage heading into the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are already in the final of the Copa del Rey, where they will face Barcelona and in the league, they trail the Catalan club by four points and look set to relinquish their title to their dearest rivals. Los Blancos have picked up 66 points in the league his season, and they have already faced English opposition, beating Manchester City twice, losing to Liverpool and losing to Arsenal at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s side will know that this competition will be the only opportunity to secure silverware this season. The Gunners are 13 points behind Liverpool and have already been knocked out from both domestic competitions against Manchester United (FA Cup) and Newcastle United (Carabao Cup), respectively.

The game will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1.

Real Madrid Team News

After receiving a second yellow card at the Emirates, Eduardo Camavinga will be suspended for the second leg at the Bernabeu. Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Andriy Lunin and Ferland Mendy are all unavailable because of injuries.

Arsenal Team News

Arsenal have up to five players who will be expected to be missing from this fixture, including Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The two sides have met only three times in this competition over the last 20 years, and the Gunners remain unbeaten in all three games without conceding. Arsenal picked up a famous 1-0 victory against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in 2006, where Thierry Henry scored the game's only goal.

Real Madrid:

Real Madrid’s form is very mixed heading into this game, with only two victories to their name against Deportivo Alaves (0-1) and Leganes (3-2) in their last five matches. The home side are winless in their last two European fixtures, with defeats against Arsenal (3-0) and Atletico Madrid (1-0) - albeit Los Blancos progressed on penalties against Atletico.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are wireless in their last two home matches across all competitions. However, Real Madrid have won their last three home matches in the UEFA Champions League with wins against Atletico Madrid (2-1), Manchester City (3-1) and RB Salzburg (5-1).

Arsenal:

Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their previous nine matches but have drawn four of their last seven games in all competitions. Draws have been a consistent theme of Arsenal this season, with the Gunners having drawn 12 of their 32 league games this season, following their recent 1-1 draw against Brentford.

The Gunners have won twice in their last five games away from home, with wins against PSV Eindhoven (0-7) and Leicester City (2-0). Arsenal have drawn their last two games away from home 1-1 against Everton and Manchester United, respectively.

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