Overview
- Arsenal and Real Madrid face off in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at 8pm BST on April 8, 2025, at the Emirates Stadium.
- Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has described the match as the 'biggest night of his career' and an opportunity for the club to rewrite its European history.
- Arsenal will be without key defender Gabriel Magalhaes due to a season-ending hamstring injury, while Bukayo Saka is set to make his first start in four months after recovering from his own hamstring issue.
- Real Madrid, the 15-time European champions, enter the match following a 2-1 La Liga loss to Valencia, with Carlo Ancelotti making several lineup changes, including the return of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
- This is the first Champions League meeting between the two clubs since 2006, with Arsenal aiming for their first European trophy and Real Madrid seeking to continue their dominance in the competition.