Arsenal vs Real Madrid facts

Real Madrid's defence of the UEFA Champions League continues with a quarter-final first leg at Arsenal, who are in the last eight for the second successive season.

The holders ousted neighbours Atlético de Madrid 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw in the round of 16 and have already enjoyed success against English opponents in 2025, beating Premier League champions Manchester City in the knockout phase play-offs.

Arsenal – who have not won a Champions League quarter-final since 2009 – were 9-3 aggregate winners against PSV Eindhoven in the last 16, their 7-1 first-leg win the first time a team had scored seven goals in an away knockout match.

Previous meetings

2005/06 Champions League round of 16
Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-0 Real Madrid
Thierry Henry's fine solo strike 47 minutes into the first leg made Arsenal the first English team to win at the Santiago Bernabéu and proved the only goal of the tie.

The Gunners went on to reach their only European Cup final, keeping ten successive clean sheets en route, but conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 to Barcelona in the final at the Stade de France.

Form guide

Arsenal

Record vs Spanish clubs: W15 D9 L16 F54 A52
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W10 D5 L3

Arsenal have already faced Spanish opponents this season, winning 2-1 at debutants Girona on Matchday 8.

That made it five victories in the Gunners' last seven games against Liga opponents, home and away (D1 L1).

A 2-0 victory against Sevilla on Matchday 4 last season was only Arsenal's third in their last seven home games against Spanish visitors (D3 L1).

This is the London club's first knockout tie against Spanish opponents since losing to Villarreal in the 2020/21 Europa League semi-finals, going down 2-1 both in the away first leg and on aggregate.

The Gunners' record in two-legged ties with Liga clubs is W6 L6 – they have been beaten in five of the last six.

Arsenal's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W2 L6.

Mikel Arteta's side finished first in Group B last season and then edged past Porto on penalties – their first round of 16 success since 2009/10, also against the Portuguese side – but lost to Bayern München in the quarter-finals (2-2 h, 0-1 a).

Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their second successive appearance.

Arsenal have won 15 of their last 20 home European matches, losing only one, and had won all four this season, keeping clean sheets in each, before a 2-2 draw with PSV.

Real Madrid

Record vs English clubs: W26 D16 L18 F94 A77
Away record vs English clubs: W10 D6 L11

This is Madrid's second knockout tie against Premier League opponents this season; they beat Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs (3-2 a, 3-1 h).

Madrid have also lost in England this season, going down 2-0 at Liverpool on Matchday 5.

Madrid have now won four of the last eight away games at Premier League clubs (D1 L3).

Madrid's record in two-legged knockout ties against English clubs is now W15 L7. They have ten aggregate victories in the last 13, although their last three Champions League eliminations have all been by Premier League opponents – Chelsea in the 2020/21 semi-finals (1-1 h, 0-2 a) and Manchester City in the 2019/20 round of 16 (1-2 h, 1-2 a) and 2022/23 semi-finals (1-1 h, 0-4 a).

Including the 2021/22 final, this is the 11th time Madrid have been paired with English opposition in their last 16 Champions League knockout ties, and the ninth in the last 13.

Madrid are in the European Cup quarter-finals for the 40th time, more than any other side. Their record is W33 L6 with wins in their last 12.

Madrid are making their 21st Champions League quarter-final appearance, behind only Bayern München (23).

Carlo Ancelotti's team claimed Madrid's record-extending 15th European Cup in 2023/24 with a 2-0 final victory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

A 1-0 second-leg defeat at Atlético in the round of 16 was Madrid's 11th in their last 35 Champions League away games, winning 14. They have been beaten in seven of the last 20, also losing at Lille (0-1) and Liverpool this season.

Links and trivia

Martin Ødegaard signed for Madrid in January 2015 aged 17 and played in the club's youth teams for three seasons. He was loaned to Real Sociedad in 2019/20, scoring the first goal in a 4-3 win at Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on 6 February 2020. He lost both La Liga matches against the Merengues.

Ødegaard made eight league appearances for Madrid before signing for Arsenal in January 2021.

Dani Ceballos played on loan at Arsenal between 2019 and 2021, scoring twice in 77 appearances in all competitions.

Have also played in England:
Luka Modrić (Tottenham 2008–12)
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea 2014–18)
Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea 2017–22)
Jude Bellingham (Birmingham City 2010–19)
Brahim Díaz (Manchester City 2015–19)

Have also played in Spain:
Mikel Merino (Osasuna 2014–16, Real Sociedad 2018–24)
Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid 2012–20, Mallorca 2013/14 loan, Almería 2014/15 loan)
Kieran Tierney (Real Sociedad 2023/24 loan)
Neto (Valencia 2017–19, Barcelona 2019–22)

Have played together:
Brahim Díaz & Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City 2017–19)
Brahim Díaz & Raheem Sterling (Manchester City 2017/18)
Kai Havertz & Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea 2020–22)

Havertz and Rüdiger were in the Chelsea team that won the 2021 Champions League, Havertz scoring the only goal of the final against Manchester City.

International team mates:
David Raya, Mikel Merino & Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Ceballos, Fran García, Raúl Asencio (Spain)
Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus & Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior, Endrick (Brazil)
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Myles Lewis-Skelly & Jude Bellingham (England)
William Saliba & Kylian Mbappé, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouaméni (France)
Oleksandr Zinchenko & Andriy Lunin (Ukraine)
Leandro Trossard & Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Kai Havertz & Antonio Rüdiger (Germany)

Latest news

Arsenal

Arsenal are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions (W3 D4), although they were held to a 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday.

A 0-1 home defeat by West Ham on 22 February is Arsenal's sole loss in 21 Premier League matches (W12 D8), since losing by the same scoreline at Newcastle on 2 November, although they are 11 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Bukayo Saka, who had been sidelined by a hamstring injury since 21 December, returned as a substitute against Fulham on 1 April, scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory, and also came on at Everton.

Gabriel is not expected to play again this season after suffering a hamstring injury that requires surgery against Fulham.

Riccardo Calafiori has missed the last two matches after suffering a knee injury in training during the March international break.

On 12 February Arsenal confirmed Kai Havertz is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in training.

Gabriel Jesus is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United on 12 January.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has been out since 5 October due to a knee injury.

Myles Lewis-Skelly marked his England debut with the opening goal in a 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Albania at Wembley on 21 March.

Real Madrid

On Saturday Madrid conceded in the 95th minute to go down 1-2 at home to Valencia, their third defeat in eight games in all competitions (W4 D1) – as many as in their previous 23 (W17 D3).

Vinícius Júnior had made it 1-1 having had a first-half penalty saved; Madrid have missed five of their 16 penalties this season in all competitions, their highest tally in a single campaign since at least 2013/14.

Madrid had won their previous three fixtures in La Liga, Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in a 3-2 home win against Leganés on 29 March.

Mbappé has five goals in his last four league appearances, making it 19 in 20 Madrid games in 2025 and 33 in all competitions this season.

On 1 April, Real Madrid drew 4-4 after extra time against Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, going through 5-4 on aggregate. They will play Barcelona in the final on 26 April in Seville.

Endrick, who got Madrid's opener, has five goals in five Copa del Rey games this season, and seven goals in all competitions in just 575 minutes of action.

Andriy Lunin did not play in the weekend loss due to a leg injury, meaning Fran González, aged 19 years 285 days, became the youngest Madrid goalkeeper to make his Liga debut since Iker Casillas aged 18 years 115 days in September 1999.

Thibaut Courtois, whose last appearance came for Belgium on 23 March, has been sidelined by a muscle strain.

Dani Ceballos suffered a muscle injury in the first leg against Real Sociedad on 26 February and has not played since.

Ferland Mendy suffered a hamstring injury on 12 March and has not played since.

Dani Carvajal (out since 5 October) and Éder Militão (9 November) are expected to miss the rest of the season with knee injuries.