CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, REAL MADRID - THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

MASSIVE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL. CAN ARTETA MASTERMIND A WIN?

“We're going to create our own story and go even further. Tomorrow is a beautiful opportunity for all of us.”

Mikel Arteta, with these words, you are spoiling us.

Arsenal vs Real Madrid.

It’s the headline match-up we’ve been gagging for over the past 10 years—and it’s finally here. But we’re not in the mixer as some filler club; we’re here to suck the joy out of the game and see if we can sneak a win with a battered and beaten squad that still believes it can get the job done.

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I’ve said it many times on the podcast: I used to watch top Champions League games and wonder if we’d ever be able to play football like that at the highest level. We finally have a collection of players—and a manager—who can manufacture the kind of football reserved for the very best.

So what do we have to worry about?

On paper, one of the scariest attacking operations in world football. Kylian Mbappé, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham are all difference-makers in their own right. They create moments out of nothing, they dine off quarter-chances, and they carry this disgracefully privileged belief that they’re entitled to every Champions League trophy ever minted.

But…

They aren’t quite at the level of vintage Madrid. They lost to Valencia at the weekend. They’ve conceded 31 goals in La Liga this season. And they’re rocking with a 39-year-old in midfield.

Arsenal, in our worst season in three years, only have four players who’ve scored more than five goals in the Premier League. Real Madrid, supposedly the greatest attacking outfit on the planet, also only have four players with four or more goals in La Liga. They’ve scored just seven more goals than Arsenal in their domestic league—and they’re a whopping 20 behind Barcelona. All that shimmering ain’t quite shining this season.

The streets are saying their line-up will look something like this tomorrow:

Courtois
Vázquez, Asensio, Rüdiger, Alaba
Rodrygo, Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham
Mbappé, Vini Jr.

This isn’t the best starting XI Madrid could throw out, but it’s pretty OH GOD SCARY regardless. There aren’t many obvious gaps. All we can hope is that Camavinga can be got at in midfield. He has sublime moments, no doubt, but Madrid fans have taken shots at some of his brain-dead errors. Outside of that, I’m hoping their backline can be probed by our younger players.

I’m clutching, I have to be honest. This is a Madrid team packed with talent—it’s just maybe lacking some of the devastating chemistry we’ve come to expect from Carlo’s teams. It’s hard to lean too heavily on that, though… they come alive in games like these, so we’ll have to be at our absolute best.

Arsenal know what to expect. Madrid will happily let us have possession and wait for a mistake so they can kill us.

We do have mistakes in our backline. Ben White is struggling and looks rusty. Kiwior gets stage fright. Timber isn’t at his peak right now. It’s going to take something immense for us to escape without errors—especially since we’re missing our most beastly defender to a hamstring injury.

I think if we can escape the night without conceding, we can go to Madrid and turn it on. We haven’t had a properly big moment this season. Arteta knows a win like this cements belief for next year—and opens us up to a crapshoot at winning the Champions League this year.

There’s a chance—because it’s a cup competition—but it’s a long shot. Everyone will have to be absolutely incredible if we’re going to escape with the goods.

But… let’s believe until there’s no more belief to give. If you’re going, give it all you’ve got, and make sure you’re buzzing before you even get in the building. Should be fun, whatever happens.

Ok, see you in the comments—and sign up for the membership so you can watch On The Whistle after the game. xxx

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