Arsenal’s two-legged tie with Real Madrid in the Champions League is finally here.
The Gunners entertain Los Blancos at the Emirates on Tuesday night, before travelling to Spain to play at the Bernabeu next week.
Real Madrid are without six key players for the first leg, while Arsenal are missing several important stars, including the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The La Liga giants certainly boast a dangerous attack, but there are vulnerabilities in Carlo Ancelotti’s team that Arsenal can and should be able to exploit.
Thibaut Courtois reveals that Real Madrid are wary of Arsenal’s set pieces
It’s well-documented that one of Arsenal’s most prominent ways of scoring goals is via set-pieces.
The Gunners have scored eleven goals from dead-ball situations this season, generating the most expected goals from these scenarios in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have conceded five goals from set-pieces in La Liga and have looked vulnerable from them throughout the Champions League this campaign.
Asked about their issues with set-pieces and Arsenal’s strength in this area, Thibaut Courtois admitted it was an area of weakness for La Casa Blanca, but claimed they have a plan to stop the Gunners from scoring from them.
“We’ve worked on it,” the goalkeeper said in his press conference on Monday.
“We know how we have to try to defend against them. The first thing is not to concede too many corners.
“It’s a matter of concentration, activation – sometimes the quality of the opponent plays a factor too. If the ball arrives perfectly, it’s difficult to defend.
“But we are ready to do it, we believe that what we have prepared will work out well for us.”
What Mikel Arteta said about set-pieces before Arsenal v Real Madrid
Arsenal will likely try and exploit Real Madrid in the full-back areas in open-play, although there’ll be a huge emphasis on the Gunners’ set-piece prowess.
Mikel Arteta’s team’s success from dead-ball situations has dried up a bit in recent weeks, with Mikel Merino’s header against Chelsea their first corner goal since mid-January.
However, Bukayo Saka returned to action last week, meaning Arsenal have their two primary corner takers back and available.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Arteta emphasised the importance of set-pieces in knockout football.
“In knockout stages, set-pieces usually account for 33% of the goals scored,” he said.
“It will be crucial for us, of course, but also for them; they scored against Valencia from a set-piece.”
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