Arsenal One Step from Champions League History with Clean Sheet Record in Sight
Arsenal are close to making Champions League history. Mikel Arteta’s team will travel to Spain this Wednesday to face Real Madrid in the second leg of the quarter-final. The Gunners have a strong advantage after a 3-0 win in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Declan Rice scored twice from free kicks, and Mikel Merino added a third to seal a great performance in North London. Only the brilliant goalkeeping of Thibaut Courtois kept the score from getting worse for Real Madrid.
Arsenal Chasing Clean Sheet Record
Arsenal have never conceded a goal to Real Madrid in the Champions League. After a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu in 2006, a 0-0 draw at home that year, and last week’s 3-0 win, they’ve kept three straight clean sheets against the Spanish giants.
If they can stop Madrid from scoring again on Wednesday, Arsenal will become the first team in history to keep four straight clean sheets against Real Madrid in the Champions League or European Cup.
Tough Test at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid are hard to beat at home. They’ve scored in each of their last 35 Champions League home games. The last time they failed to score at the Bernabeu in the competition was in 2018.
Arsenal will need another strong defensive display. With injuries to Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Riccardo Calafiori, Arteta is expected to start Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba at the back again. The pair were excellent in the first leg, stopping top attackers like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo.
Real Madrid Hoping for Another Comeback
To go through, Real Madrid need to win by four goals. They’ve only managed such a comeback once before — in 1976, when they overturned a 4-1 loss to Derby County with a 5-1 win in the second leg.
The Gunners, on the other hand, haven’t lost by four goals away from home since 2021, when they lost 4-0 to Liverpool in the Premier League.
Arsenal Midfield Blow
Arteta will be without one of their key midfielders for the second leg due to injury. This is a setback for Arteta, who will need his midfield to stay calm under pressure in Madrid.
What’s at Stake?
If Arsenal win or draw, they’ll not only break a Champions League record, but also match their best-ever away run in the competition with four straight wins. More importantly, they’ll secure a place in the semi-finals — where Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain await.
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