Arsenal: Carlo Ancelotti considering dropping key Real Madrid star for second leg of UCL Q/F clash against Arsenal: Reports

Carlo Ancelotti considering dropping key Real Madrid star for second leg of UCL Q/F clash against Arsenal: Reports

Modified Apr 16, 2025 14:38 GMT

Real Madrid CF Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg - Source: Getty

Real Madrid will welcome Arsenal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday (16 April). Ahead of the crucial game, MARCA (via Madrid Zone) report that manager Carlo Ancelotti is considering dropping Rodrygo.

Notably, Rodyrgo has seven goal contributions in the continental competition this term, five goals and two assists, in 11 appearances. However, he could start on the bench in the second leg against the Gunners at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid come into the game with a three-goal deficit. The quarterfinal first leg saw two free-kick goals from Declan Rice and one from Mikel Moreno. Moreover, Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was shown a red card late in the game. Rodrygo notably started on the right wing in that clash, alongside Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

This was one of Los Blancos' heaviest defeats in a UEFA Champions League knockout fixture. They faced a similar defeat in the semifinals of the 2012-13 edition, when they lost 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund.

Notably, this will only be the second time Arsenal face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. The last time these two teams went up against each other at the venue was back in the 2005-06 season, where the Gunners secured all three points in a group-stage game.

Real Madrid to play Arsenal under closed roof

Real Madrid have a mountain to climb against the Gunners. And to make the atmosphere for this game more sensational, they have requested UEFA to allow this fixture to be played under a closed roof, as per Sportstar.

The roof at the Bernabeu is retractable, and creates a more daunting atmosphere when closed. This, however, will not be the first time that Los Blancos are implementing such a strategy.

A similar tactic was used last season, too, in their 2023-24 UEFA Champions League semifinals clash against Bayern Munich on May 9, 2024. Madrid went on to claim a 2-1 win in the game and 4-3 on aggregate to qualify for the final.

About the author

Sattyik is a football writer at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience. He has completed his post-graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication (MA), and has previously worked for Khel Now and also Sportskeeda’s Indian Sports and Indian Football division.

Sattyik has been following the sport since his childhood as his parents are ardent Mohun Bagan supporters and also members of the club. He has, however, been supporting their rivals East Bengal since 2008. He was also part of a local football academy, specializing in central defense, but had to switch focus to studies. Among European teams, he follows Manchester United and their stalwart captain Nemanja Vidic.

Sattyik has interviewed multiple footballers like Alberto Noguera, Javier Siverio, Edu Bedia among others. He is always on the lookout for new stories and strives to share them within appropriate timelines.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are Sattyik’s other favorite footballers. Among managers, he admires Sir Alex Ferguson, Xabi Alonso, Carlo Ancelotti, Johan Cruyff and Jose Mourinho because of their achievements and how they revolutionized the sport.

Sattyik was inspired by the grit and determination shown by Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final as they came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the trophy. When not working, he enjoys his time with books and music.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava