Real Madrid XI vs Arsenal: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Champions League

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·15 de abril de 2025

Real Madrid XI vs Arsenal: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Champions League

Kylian Mbappe available but Carlo Ancelotti facing a couple of major selection dilemmas in comeback bid

Real Madrid will have Kylian Mbappe available for their crunch Champions League quarter-final second-leg tie against Arsenal, despite his sending off against Alaves.

Vídeos OneFootball

The French superstar was dismissed in the first half of Los Blancos’ hard-fought 1-0 win in LaLiga on Sunday night, with his initial yellow card for a bad challenge on Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco upgraded to red following a VAR review.

Mbappe is set to be absent for Real Madrid’s next domestic outing at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday as they try to cut a four-point title deficit to fierce rivals Barcelona with only seven games left to play this season, but he remains available for European competition and will start as usual against Arsenal as Carlo Ancelotti looks to him to lead their attempts to overturn a shock 3-0 deficit after last week’s horror show at the Emirates.

“I was hurt and disappointed by what happened in Vitoria [against Alaves],” the Madrid boss said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “He [Mbappe] trained very well yesterday.

“He's very motivated, and obviously we need him. We have to score goals. He's scored a lot this season, but tomorrow we need him more than ever.”

Mbappe should once again start alongside Vinicius Jr in attack for Madrid, with the latter having played only half an hour off the bench against Alaves in preparation for Arsenal.

It was a similar case for Jude Bellingham, who will also return to Ancelotti’s starting lineup at the Santiago Bernabeu. He and Rodrygo should complete the attack.

Dilemma: Carlo Ancelotti must choose whether to play Federico Valverde at right-back or in midfield

REUTERS

Thibaut Courtois will start in goal as usual for Madrid, with Antonio Rudiger partnered by Raul Asencio at centre-back.

David Alaba or Fran Garcia is the choice for Ancelotti at left-back with Ferland Mendy still injured, while it remains to be seen if he will operate with Federico Valverde at right-back or push him into midfield and bring in Lucas Vazquez, who started at the weekend, with Dani Carvajal a long-term absentee.

There were reports in the Spanish press on Tuesday that the manager was leaning towards a midfield berth for the versatile Valverde, where he will not be partnered by weekend match-winner Eduardo Camavinga, who is suspended after being sent off late in the first leg against Arsenal.

Aurelien Tchouameni is back after missing the trip to north London through his own ban, while new Swansea minority owner Luka Modric did not play a minute off the bench against Alaves. Former Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos is another option in the middle.

Eder Militao is still out for Madrid and Courtois’ deputy Andriy Lunin a doubt, with young goalkeepers Fran Gonzalez and Sergio Mestre likely to be on the bench once more.

Vazquez, Modric, Rudiger, Vinicus Jr and Endrick are all one yellow card away from serving a one-match suspension in the Champions League.

Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Garcia, Valverde, Tchouameni, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe

Injured: Militao, Carvajal, Mendy

Doubt: Lunin

Suspended: Camavinga

Time and date: 8pm BST on Wednesday April 16, 2025

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

How to watch: TNT Sports 1