Arsenal are preparing for one of their biggest matches of the season as they welcome Real Madrid to the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
The Gunners know they will have to be at their very best to get something out of such an important clash over the two legs.
It all starts at the Emirates Stadium, where a lead could change everything, with Mikel Arteta outlining the importance of the fans turning up for the match.
Some luck may need to fall the way of Arsenal to deny Real Madrid, who have plenty of history in the Champions League.
That may come down to decisions on the pitch, not least those made by referees, who have made life difficult for the Gunners at points this season.
So with that said, here’s a look at the referee choice for Arsenal vs Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Who is the referee for Arsenal vs Real Madrid?
UEFA have appointed Irfan Peljto as the referee in charge of Arsenal’s clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
The Bosnian match official has been a regular in UEFA competitions, largely covering the Champions League, Europa League and Nations League this season.
Irfan Peljto refereeing record this season
Irfan Peljto has taken charge of six Champions League matches this season, involving the likes of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Inter Milan and more.
He has awarded four penalties over those six games, along with one red card during those clashes.
| Matches | Fouls | Penalties | Yellow cards | Red cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 112 | 4 | 15 | 1 |
Arsenal will be hopeful they aren’t on the end of any penalty decisions against them, though Mark Clattenburg has explained the difference with Champions League refereeing, not least with a few rule changes in the competition.
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Who are the match officials and VAR for Arsenal vs Real Madrid?
While Irfan Peljto will be the main referee in the match, he will be joined by other match officials to help guide him through the encounter.
Senad Ibrisimbegovic and Davor Beljo are the two assistants who will be running the run, while Milos Gigovic is the fourth official.
VAR will be in operation at the Emirates Stadium, with Bastian Dankert named as the main video assistant referee, joined by his assistant Christian Dingert.
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