Tonight Real Madrid have their eagerly awaited match against Arsenal in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. A Real Madrid team clinging on to their favourite competition, their pet tournament. Ancelotti’s men are looking to try to forget a week that has fuelled doubts about the team a little more.
Real Madrid, out to dispel all doubts against Arsenal in the Champions League
The precedent is not entirely encouraging and neither is the criticism of the team. The defeat against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabéu has not sat well with Madrid fans, who feel devastated to see their team slip away from LaLiga and almost hand the title to FC Barcelona on a plate.
In any case, in the Champions League all that changes, all the evils are dispelled thanks to the aura that the top continental competition at club level exudes. The fact of eliminating Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium puts the whole of Europe on alert as they see that Real Madrid are not doing so badly.
Today, Arsenal are the opposition in a very difficult visit to the Emirates Stadium in which the ticket to the semifinals will begin to be decided. It should be remembered that the winner will face the winner of the tie between PSG and Aston Villa.
A match in which the Gunners will try to overthrow the current European champions. Their biggest problem is that they play the second leg at the Bernabéu and they know what Real Madrid are capable of in their temple. This, knowing that the poor results of the Madridistas do not make them favorites to win the title.
Ancelotti’s plan to win
It will undoubtedly be one of the duels of the matchday, in which two great coaches, Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti, will have to devise a plan to secure victory for Arsenal against Real Madrid. To do so, the Italian will have to think long and hard about how to use his players to face the first of the two duels against Arsenal.
In that defense that often starts or ends up being made up of players who are not in their position. “It’s a question I have, because he does a lot of things very well, in the center and in defense, so I have to analyze where he is going to contribute most to the team,” said the coach about where he was going to place Fede Valverde, the most versatile piece of the team.
Ancelotti chooses David Alaba and Fede Valverde as starters
The absences due to injury and suspension set the pace a little. Andriy Lunin is a doubt, he didn’t play in the league, and Militao, Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Ceballos will not be there. Neither will Tchouaméni, the only one who will not be in London due to an accumulation of yellow cards in the match against Arsenal.
In defense, the choice is between David Alaba or Fran García. Although I could be inclined to choose the former, although his last few games have been quite good. The center-back pairing is clear and will be Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rudiger, who is on the verge of a warning. At right-back, everything points to Fede Valverde starting, chosen for the most important games over Lucas Vázquez.
In the center, if Valverde’s move to the wing is confirmed, Ancelotti should fill the gaps left by the Uruguayan and Tchouaméni, who is suspended. Here, the chosen ones would be Camavinga and Luka Modric, both on the verge of a warning for the second leg.
Ahead of them will be Jude Bellingham. Unless there is a major surprise, there are no doubts. Ancelotti will surely trust in his trident of gala. It would be made up of Rodrygo, who has been a substitute in the last two games, Kylian Mbappé, in the ‘9’ position, and Vinicius,
“I haven’t spoken to him because I don’t need to. When he thinks he hasn’t played well, the next time he does better and I’m convinced he will,” said Carlo Ancelotti about Vinícius, trying to reduce the noise around the Carioca striker.
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defense: Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Alaba
Midfield: Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham
Attack: Rodrygo, Vinicius, Mbappé.