Real Madrid vs. Arsenal Prediction: Blancos With Mountain to Climb

• Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final

• Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a mountain to climb at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

• Can Arsenal hold their nerve away from home, or will Madrid somehow fight back?

Real Madrid vs. Arsenal Odds

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Real Madrid vs. Arsenal Pick

Back Real Madrid to beat Arsenal. We still expect the Gunners to go through, but they could suffer defeat in Spain.

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Real Madrid Need a Miracle - But They Have Got Them Before

There is something magical about Real Madrid and the Champions League. They have won this competition 15 times - more than double the amount of AC Milan in second place - and that gives the Blancos an aura in Europe. You are not just playing against 11 players when you face Madrid; you are also battling against the club’s entire history.

In 2015/16, Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 defeat by Wolfsburg in the away leg of their quarter-final. No matter: a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick secured a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture. In 2021/22 they mounted two remarkable comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Last year, it was Bayern Munich who fell victim to Madrid’s powers of recovery.

In each of the three seasons mentioned above, Madrid went on to win the tournament. Managers change and players come and go, but the Spanish giants remain the team to beat in the Champions League. 

This time, though, Madrid might have given themselves too much to do. A 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in last week’s first leg has left Carlo Ancelotti’s team on the brink of elimination. If Madrid are to keep their Champions League hopes alive on Wednesday, they need to pull off their most extraordinary turnaround yet.

Can they do it? There is such a high level of quality in the Madrid squad that you can never write them off. It must be pointed out, however, that Ancelotti’s side have not been firing on all cylinders of late. They were poor at the Emirates Stadium and have won just one of their last four outings in all competitions.

Even so, it would be unwise to dismiss Madrid’s chances out of hand. This is the Champions League after all.

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Arsenal Must Show All Their Grit and Resilience in Spain

The first half of the first leg was an even affair, but Arsenal came on strong after the interval. Declan Rice was the star of the show, scoring two stunning free-kicks to set Arsenal on their way, before Mikel Merino put the icing on the cake with a third. It was one of the north Londoners’ greatest ever nights in Europe.

"We had a very complete and big performance collectively,” said Mikel Arteta afterwards. “This night is also about two other factors; the atmosphere that we created even before kick-off, which I haven't seen before, and then magic individual moments that decide football matches.”

Arteta knows as well as anyone that the job is not done yet. Arsenal have a healthy lead to take to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but an early goal for Madrid could potentially make the visitors jittery. Arsenal must keep their cool in the Spanish capital.

They will need to use every ounce of their grit and resilience too. Arsenal will go through long spells without the ball on Wednesday. The Bernabeu crowd will be right behind their team, especially in the opening exchanges. Arsenal will be tested mentally as much as anything.

They have fallen short in the Premier League title race, with Liverpool 13 points clear at the summit of the standings, but this could still be one of the best seasons in Arsenal’s history. This is a club that has never won the Champions League before, but they are now strong favourites to reach the semi-finals at the expense of Madrid, the holders. 

Before all that, though, Arsenal must survive a trip to arguably the most iconic stadium in world soccer.

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Arsenal’s Lead Is Large but They Could Suffer at the Bernabeu

Arsenal look set to go through on Wednesday. A 2-0 advantage might not have been enough, but a three-goal cushion is likely to prove too much even for Madrid to overturn. Do not rule out Arsenal grabbing a goal on the counter-attack either.

Arteta’s team are excellent out of possession and they will be happy to soak up pressure. They are tough to break down even without Gabriel Maghalaes, who is out injured, at center-back. No team in the Premier League has conceded as few goals this season.

Remember, though: most bets offered by sportsbooks cover the second leg only. And in a standalone home match against Arsenal, Real Madrid have what it takes to win.

That does not mean the margin of victory will be wide enough for the defending champions to advance, but they should come out on top within 90 minutes.

It is true that Madrid have not been at their best lately, but the sheer quality they have in the final third could overwhelm Arsenal. Bear in mind, too, that the Blancos have six of their last seven Champions League games at the Bernabeu, while they have not lost a knockout match at home in over three years.

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How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Arsenal

• Teams: Real Madrid vs. Arsenal

• Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain

• Date and Time: Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 15:00 PM ET 

• How to Watch: Paramount+