Carlo Ancelotti’s team will travel to the Emirates Stadium with hopes of bolstering their title defence after previously overcoming Manchester City and narrowly edging Atletico Madrid on penalties in the round of 16. ..Continue Reading
However, controversy followed their win over Atletico, as four players—Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius Junior—were investigated for allegedly breaching UEFA’s code of conduct during their post-match celebrations.
Rudiger and Mbappe were handed fines and suspended one-match bans, which will only be enforced if similar behavior is repeated within a year.
Ceballos received just a fine, while Vinicius was cleared of any misconduct.
Despite putting that episode behind them, fresh concerns have emerged ahead of their crucial clash with Arsenal.
According to Spanish publication Marca, the Real Madrid squad was left rattled following a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Valencia over the weekend.
Valencia took the lead through Mouctar Diakhaby in the first half. Vinicius, who had earlier missed a penalty, leveled the score early in the second half.
But a dramatic 95th-minute goal gave Valencia a shocking win, damaging Madrid’s momentum and denying them the chance to temporarily draw level with Barcelona atop the La Liga standings.
Barcelona later drew with Real Betis, widening their lead to four points.
Marca claims Ancelotti had to intervene and address the dressing room after the loss, reassuring his players that nothing was lost yet and emphasizing that their success would depend on the intensity and determination they show in the games ahead.
Madrid now aim to secure their first-ever victory against Arsenal.
The only prior meetings between the two sides came in the 2005/06 Champions League round of 16, where Arsène Wenger’s team triumphed 1-0 on aggregate.
