Arsenal have the strongest hold on a UEFA Champions League quarter final spot going into the last 16 second legs.
The Gunners produced a superb performance to win 7-1 at PSV Eindhoven in midweek in a dominant first leg showing from Mikel Arteta’s team – including two goals from former Real Madrid player Martin Odegaard.
Despite their recent inconsistency in the Premier League, Arsenal stormed away, with their place in the last eight now effectively guaranteed.
Arteta is expected to rest the majority of his main stars for the reverse game as he looks to maintain their slim league title hopes.
A route to the quarter finals means Arteta will reach that stage for the second successive season after losing out to Bayern Munich in his tournament debut as a coach in 2024.
La Liga duo Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will fight it out to face Arsenal in the next phase with Los Blancos winning their own first leg 2-1 at home to Diego Simeone’s side.
With that tie tightly balanced, Arsenal will be watching on with interest, in what will be a test of the development of Arteta’s team.
Arsenal have not reached the Champions League semi finals since 2009 and they will face a battle either way.
Former Gunners star Thierry Henry offered up his take on an incoming clash with one of the Madrid giants with Carlo Ancelotti’s team winning two of the last three finals.
“Yes, Arsenal can fight with the two teams from Madrid, that’s what I think,” as per quotes from CBS Sports.
“The only thing I will say is that now they must show they can do it against a big team [like Real Madrid and Atletico].
“Sometimes the path to the final can help you, or not, but if you want to win the Champions League, you have to get past these teams.”
