Real Madrid vs Arsenal Women's Champions League preview
Madrid reached the quarter-finals in their debut campaign in 2021/22, losing to Barcelona, and are now back after two consecutive group stage exits. Both of those were to Chelsea and Madrid began their group campaign this time with a third away loss in London, but then put together a four-game winning run against Celtic and Twente to progress.
Arsenal are in a joint-record 16th quarter-final and, like Madrid, bounced back from a Matchday 1 defeat (5-2 at Bayern) and ended up overtaking the German team for first place. Those five group wins came after Renée Slegers took over as interim coach and she is now in permanent charge as Arsenal seek to reach an eighth semi-final. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar suffered a concussion in the 9 March loss to Liverpool and is out along with defender Lotte Wubben-Moy.
The Gunners' squad includes two former Barcelona players, Mariona Caldentey and Laia Codina, who both have perfect career records against the Spanish capital outfit (though new Arsenal signing Chloe Kelly has unhappy memories of a 2022/23 round 1 final loss at Madrid with her parent club Man City). Caroline Weir of Madrid first came to England from Scotland to play for Arsenal between 2013 and 2015, while Signe Bruun will remember a 2020 quarter-final against the Gunners well, when she scored Paris Saint-Germain's winner.
Possible starting line-ups
Real Madrid: Misa; Antônia, Lakrar, María Méndez, Olga Carmona; Toletti, Angeldahl; Caciedo, Weir, Athenea del Castillo; Bruun
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Wälti; Mead, Maanum, Mariona Caldentey; Russo
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