Arsenal route to Champions League final after beating Real Madrid in quarter-final first leg

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·9. April 2025

Arsenal route to Champions League final after beating Real Madrid in quarter-final first leg

Arsenal will have to beat two more European heavyweights if they finish the job against Real Madrid

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Arsenal have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after beating Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Declan Rice's two fantastic free kicks and a striker's finish from Mikel Merino gave the Gunners an emphatic 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The job is only half done, of course, and if any team can mount a remarkable comeback in this competition, then it is 15-time winners Real Madrid.

If Arsenal were to knock out the holders, they will play either PSG or Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

PSG beat Liverpool on penalties in the last round and will be the strong favourite to reach the last four and set up a potential clash with the Gunners.

Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Barcelona are among those on the other side of the draw, with the Catalan giants arguably currently the strongest of those sides.

That could leave Arsenal taking on the Spanish giants in a repeat of the 2006 Champions League final

Quarter-finals: Real Madrid

Semi-finals: PSG

Final: Barcelona