Arsenal vs. Real Madrid prediction, where to watch, live stream: Champions League TV channel, odds, lineups

Arsenal and Real Madrid meet in the Champions League for the first time in 19 years on Tuesday night with the Gunners intent on repeating the history they made in 2006. On their way to their first, and so far only, European Cup final, Arsene Wenger’s side shut out the Galacticos home and away, Thierry Henry’s goal in the Santiago Bernabeu both the first winner for an English side in that ground and enough to take them into the quarterfinals.

Nearly two decades later and Arsenal remain underdogs. They might not be at full strength, but without defensive anchor Gabriel Magalhaes or any senior center forward it could be a challenge for them to score the goals they will need to overcome Kylian Mbappe et al. Equally Bukayo Saka is back and their defense has been one of the most effective in the Champions League this season.

They have not been tested quite like Madrid have, the holders overcoming Manchester City in the playoffs and then Atletico Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout in the round of 16. Real Madrid seem to have found their familiar tune that allows them to win even when they aren’t playing well and their heritage in the competition is indisputable. Will it carry the day?

Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.

Real Madrid brace for Arsenal’s set piece prowess ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal matchup

James Benge

Viewing information

• Date: Tuesday, April 8 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Emirates Stadium — London
• Live stream: Paramount+
• Odds: Arsenal +125; Draw +220; Real Madrid +230

Last meeting

These two sides have never faced off at the Emirates Stadium, but while the 2006 round of 16 tie was defined by Henry’s famous winner in Madrid, the obduracy with which Arsenal defended their lead at Highbury a fortnight later was arguably more important. Jens Lehmann saved famously from Raul, while a superb challenge from Gilberto Silva denied Ronaldo. How the hosts could do with that same scrapping spirit this time round.

Road to the quarterfinals

Madrid’s passage to the last eight, as mentioned above, has been dramatic. Defeats to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool condemned the holders to the knockout playoff, where an inspired late display by Jude Bellingham helped them overcome Manchester City in the first leg. The second was plain sailing, Kylian Mbappe netting a hat trick, but further drama was to come against Atletico Madrid. A goal to the good in the first leg, Conor Gallagher’s early equaliser set the tie on course for a penalty shootout where Carlo Ancelotti’s side triumphed amid the controversy of a Julian Alvarez penalty that he was said to have struck twice.

For Arsenal it has been a relatively serene path to the quarters. Only Inter beat them in a league phase where they finished third, earning them a bye to the last 16. There it was a case of similar comfort, a crushing 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven on the road followed by a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

Predicted lineups

Arsenal: David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba; Rodrygo, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham; Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior

Player to watch

Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid — A missed penalty in Saturday’s defeat to Valencia once more has Vinicius in the spotlight with ongoing questions as to whether he and Kylian Mbappe can be the best versions of themselves together. Those don’t seem to have affected his manager, whose response to questioning over his start forward was relaxed to say the least.

“I’ve not talked to him,” Ancelotti said. “I don’t need to. He could have played better at the weekend but I don’t need to talk to him about that. He’s a young lad, he’s going to have a great game tomorrow.”

Storyline to watch

Will the Emirates deliver a home turf advantage? — Arsenal have gone all out to make their home ground, often decried as a relatively sleepy ground, into something of a fortress in recent years and they have not lost a European game in front of their supporters since February 2020 (though they were eliminated from the Europa League by Sporting in a penalty shootout). Tifos, stadium wide displays and fireworks are being deployed to build the atmosphere while Arteta wants 57,000 reinforcements for his 11 on the pitch.

“I encourage them to come very early to the warm-up, and create those nights that we haven’t lived many of at Emirates Stadium, so that’s an opportunity again,” he said. “When we have built history, we have to build moments, and a moment is being built with our people. We have to create that energy, that belief, that enthusiasm to play every single action there. Because the bonus, the confidence that that gives you, there is nothing else that we can replicate that I can tell the players constantly to maintain that throughout the 95 minutes that the game is going to be played.”

Get your footy fix with CBS Sports Golazo Network and more

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.

3️⃣ Attacking Third (Tuesday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. Don’t miss Tuesday and Thursday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET with a Sunday wrap up after the last curtain falls on the last NWSL match of the weekend.

⚽  Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.

🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.

What else is on Paramount+?

A subscription to Paramount+ not only comes with the best sports coverage in the industry, but you’ll also have access to the vast library of on-demand content which includes more than 40,000 episodes and movies from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon and more. From popular shows like “Mayor of Kingstown” to episodes of “Frasier,” there’s no shortage of what to binge watch. 

For more information, click here.