The first leg of the quarter-final takes place tonight at the Emirates Stadium, with the return fixture set for next Wednesday. ..Continue Reading
Arsenal approach the match after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Everton last weekend, while Real Madrid come into the game on the back of a 2-1 loss to Valencia.
That result left the Spanish giants four points behind league leaders Barcelona, and they’ll be eager to bounce back as they shift focus to European competition.
However, Real’s preparations for the London encounter have been overshadowed by reports of unrest within the dressing room.
Now, a fresh report from Spain has seemingly revealed Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI, with the manager reportedly making some bold decisions.
It looks like Ancelotti is planning significant changes for the showdown with Mikel Arteta’s side.
According to Spanish publication COPE, Lucas Vazquez and David Alaba are expected to line up as the full-backs, while Eduardo Camavinga is poised to return to the starting eleven after sitting out the loss to Valencia.
Real Madrid’s ‘leaked’ starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba; Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham; Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Despite suffering a defeat in the league, Ancelotti claims his team have prepared well for the challenge of Arsenal.
“We have prepared well the game. Arsenal are very good at many things,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
On criticism his team has faced, he added: “We can’t think about criticism with a game every three days.
“After Valencia, we evaluated everything and prepared well for this match. We have 90 very important minutes. Not decisive ones, because there are 90 more at the Bernabeu.
“Experience in this tournament is very important. Knowledge means you’re not afraid of these matches, with this pressure. It’s very important to have that experience and players who have played in these matches many times. And it helps the youngsters.”
