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Following Jakub Kiwior's inclusion in Arsenal's starting lineup for their match against Real Madrid, fans of the team have expressed their mixed feelings on social media. The Santiago Bernabeu will host the second leg of the Gunners' Champions League quarterfinal matchup today (April 16).
The Gunners lead 3-0 from the first leg, and Mikel Arteta has once more turned to the Polish defender, mostly because of Gabriel Magalhaes' injury worries. Although Kiwior is not usually among the first names on the team sheet, his performances in Europe this season have been subtly strong.
He has made seven Champions League appearances for Arsenal this season, allowing just four goals in five starts. Though fans are still concerned about the quality at the Bernabeu, his discipline and composure have not gone unseen.
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In the first leg at the Emirates, Kiwior helped the Gunners keep a clean sheet against an attack from Real Madrid spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo. Even though that performance silenced some doubters, the stakes are different this time.
The Gunners are expected to hold off a Madrid team that is known for spectacular comebacks, especially at the Santiago Bernabeu. There are fans who are concerned about how he will perform, as they posted comments like these:
"Worried about Kiwior at the Bernabeu" one fan admitted.
"Kiwior please play your heart out today. That’s all I am asking from u….see you in semi #Gunners" another fan urged.
"Gunners gonna gun! 💪 Just make sure Kiwior doesn’t brick your hopes! 😂" a third was optimistic but concerned.
"i'm afraid Kiwior....let's hope we beat them...but i'm super nervous" this fan admitted.
"Kiwior? Madrid get hope!" another was pessimistic.
Arteta insists Arsenal will attack Real Madrid despite 3-0 lead
Despite having a resounding 3-0 lead from the first leg against Real Madrid, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that Arsenal will not sit back at the Bernabeu. The Arsenal manager emphasized that his team are totally focused on winning again in his remarks prior to Wednesday's quarterfinal return leg.
The manager said to the press (via Sky Sports):
"We approach the game to win it, the same as we did in London... That's our mindset and how we are going to play on Wednesday. We have to show the mindset to win, to be brave, to be dominant, and to be determined. We need to have the conviction that we can be better than them and win the game."
The Gunners want to make it to just their third-ever UEFA Champions League semi-final. However, it will be difficult against Los Blancos, with Jude Bellingham revealing that the word "remontada" (comeback) has been used repeatedly in the Real Madrid dressing room.
The roof will be closed at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight, and Arsenal will need to maintain composure in one of football's most intimidating stadiums. Failure to do so could result in getting knocked out in what could be one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history.
