“That’s a massive red flag” - Rio Ferdinand makes bold Real Madrid vs Arsenal second leg prediction

Modified Apr 10, 2025 09:39 GMT

L to R: Arsenal, Rio Ferdinand, and Real Madrid (All images sourced from Getty)

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has predicted that Real Madrid will not win against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg. His predictions came after Los Blancos lost 3-0 at the Emirates in the first leg this week (April 8).

Arsenal's massive 3-0 win can be heavily credited to English midfielder Declan Rice, who scored two free kicks in the game (58' and 70'). Mikel Merino scored the third past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (75'). To qualify for the semi-final on aggregate, Los Blancos will have to score at least four goals against the Gunners in the second leg at the Bernabeu (April 16). This is if the Gunners do not score more.

It will evidently be a tough game for Real Madrid at the Bernabeu if they wish to qualify. In the context of the same, Rio Ferdinand predicted on his eponymous podcast that Carlo Ancelotti's side will not win the tie against Arsenal in the second leg. He said (via YouTube):

"I don’t think Real Madrid can win this tie. Given that they don’t keep clean sheets, that’s a massive red flag for me. So I believe that Real Madrid have to score five goals to win this game. They need four to draw this and get to penalties [in my opinion]. I don’t think it’s doable. Arsenal [will] definitely score [at the Bernabeu]."

Ferdinand's prediction is a bold one, but Los Merengues is known to make massive comebacks. They pulled off a 5-4 aggregate comeback against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final in the 2021-22 season. Fans also witnessed a 4-3 aggregate return against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals last season.

Therefore, the Spanish giants are not to be counted out of the UEFA Champions League too soon, given they've won it a record 15 times. Yet, the second leg will be a difficult one with Arsenal's red-hot form this season.

"They could have had way more" - Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham makes admission after 3-0 loss to Arsenal

In the post-match press conference after their 3-0 loss to the Gunners, Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham claimed they were lucky to have conceded only thrice. He said (via GOAL):

"We’re lucky to get away with only three. We were nowhere near it. That's the fact and they were really good. I know two of their goals were free-kicks but they could have had way more. There is a second leg and that's what we're holding on to."

Bellingham's admission came after Thibaut Courtois made five important saves against the Gunners in the UCL quarter-final first leg. The Belgian shot-stopper was one of the key reasons the result did not worsen for Real Madrid.

Apart from the UCL, Los Blancos will also look to win the LaLiga, where they stand second in the table after Barcelona. They are also set to clash against the Catalans in the Copa del Rey final on April 26.

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Pratyasha is a Pop Culture and a European Football writer for Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and has over 3 years of experience in the pop culture industry. Throughout her career, Pratyasha has always emphasized detailed background checks, and believes in verifying all information regardless of how correct it may seem.

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Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar