"They’re the monsters in this competition" - Gary Lineker gives verdict on Arsenal's chances against Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League
Gary Lineker has outlined how Arsenal can beat reigning European champions Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The pundit insists that the Gunners must have complete faith in themselves in order to win.
Mikel Arteta's side are set to face Real Madrid in the first leg at the Emirates next week (April 8). Arsenal secured direct qualification to the knockout stages after finishing third in the league phase.
The Gunners then beat PSV 9-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 to qualify for the quarterfinals in dominant fashion. However, Arsenal face their biggest test as of yet against 15-time European champions Real Madrid.
While admitting Los Blancos are the favorites, Lineker believes the Gunners certainly have a chance, especially considering Madrid did not achieve direct qualification.
He said on The Rest is Football podcast (via TBR Football):
“The thing is, when you play Real Madrid, the name of Real Madrid can be slightly intimidating, I think. And that’s what Arsenal have got to beat, they’ve got to believe in themselves to win that game – I think they can."
"Madrid have not been brilliant in the last two or three months, they’ve had good results and bad results. But in La Liga, they’re still behind Barcelona, having had quite a good lead a couple of months ago," Linekar continued. "So they’ve had some poor results, so Arsenal should go into that feeling that they’ve got a chance.
"Obviously, Real Madrid will be favorites – they’re the monsters in this competition. They’re so difficult to beat and they seem to somehow manage it, whether it’s through sheer will and grit or some lucky thing. We always say that in Barcelona, they’re the luckiest team on the planet, but they’ve got great players."
"But the fact that they didn’t even qualify automatically into the Champions League in the top eight, suggests they’re not actually quite the finished article at present. So I think Arsenal have got a real chance in that," he added.
The Gunners last encountered Madrid during the 2005-06 campaign, winning 1-0 on aggregate against the Spanish giants in the Champions League Round of 16.
"They are looking for any chink in the armour" - Ian Wright highlights concern ahead of Arsenal vs Real Madrid
Ian Wright is worried about the absence of Gabriel Magalhaes ahead of Arsenal's quarterfinal clash against Madrid in Europe. The Brazilian was forced off in the first half of their 2-1 win over Fulham yesterday (April 1) due to a hamstring injury, raising concern over his availability against Los Blancos.
Jakub Kiwior was brought on to replace Magalhaes, and Wright admitted that he's not confident the Polish defender can keep Madrid's attack at bay.
The former Gunners striker said (via TBR Football):
“Without Gabi Magalhaes in that game, you’re looking at Kiwior – even today [against Fulham], there’s a couple of positional moves that you just cannot afford to do when you play against Real Madrid."
"They are looking for any chink in the armour to exploit, so you need people who are absolutely bang on it, to be able to keep Madrid to no goals at home. If Gabi Magalhaes was there, I would feel more confident about that," Wright concluded.
