Matthew Upson
Former Arsenal defender on BBC Football Daily podcast

Image source, Getty Images

For Declan Rice to come away from both these games with man of the match tells you something. That's a big sign you have a top player.

It's not the first time he's performed to this level in these type of matches. We see it in the Premier League all the time.

It's difficult to label a midfielder as the best in the world because there's such a range of styles. For how he plays the game, what Arsenal want from their players, he offers so many different things. He can cover it all, wherever you want to slot him in to whatever system, he would be able to adapt and play at this level. That's what makes him a special player.

Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson believes the Gunners' elevated status owes a lot to the man-of-the-match performance of England midfielder Declan Rice against Real Madrid...

While Arsenal have a 28.7% chance of winning this season's Champions League, according to Opta, they are much further ahead in today's poll, which at the top of this page.

The latest poll figures put the Gunners' chances of winning at 41%, ahead of their semi-final opponents Paris St-Germain (27%), Barcelona (23%) and Inter Milan (8%).

Do you think that is right? If not, head to the top of this page to make your selection.

Arsenal's top billing via Opta's supercomputer is based on their prediction model, which estimates the likelihood of teams finishing in each position in the competition.

It is based on the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) by using betting market odds and the Opta Power Rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances.

The model also considers the strength of opponents by using these match outcome probabilities and simulates the remaining fixtures in the competition thousands of times.

Opta says that "by analysing the outcome of each of these simulations, the model can see how often teams finished in each position to create our final predictions".

The latest predictions from Opta's supercomputer show that the Gunners are now favourites to win this season's competition, with a 28.7% chance of lifting the trophy in Munich, where the final will be played on 31 May.

Inter Milan are second favourites, with a 25.5% chance, followed by Paris St-Germain (24%) and Barcelona (21.8%).

Do you agree? Have your say in the poll at the top of this page.

Image source, Opta

Champions League

In case you missed it, here is the line-up schedule for the Champions League semi-finals:

First legs

• 29 April: Arsenal v Paris St-Germain
• 30 April: Barcelona v Inter Milan

Second legs

• 06 May: Inter Milan v Barcelona
• 07 May: Paris St-Germain v Arsenal

Final to be played in Munich on Saturday, 31 May.

So far this morning we've been reacting to Arsenal sweeping aside Champions League holders Real Madrid to book their place in the semi-finals of the competition.

• Why are PSG at home for CL semi-final second leg v Arsenal?
• Arsenal favourites to win Champions League - Opta
• Stats: Mbappe fails to deliver
• 'He was immense' - Rice's quarter-final dominance

• Watch: All the goals from the Champions League

We'll be turning our attention towards those semi-final ties (here if you've missed them).

Do stick with us.

If you felt a disturbance in the football force a moment or two ago then your instincts served you well.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has signed a new two-year contract, following talismanic forward Mohamed Salah in committing his future to the club.

You can read all about that in this alternate live page dedicated to that breaking story.

Alternatively, just stay on this page for more Champions League reaction.

Coming up, we will be talking more about the semi-final line-up and which side you think will lift the trophy...

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Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

Most of the questions aimed at Carlo Ancelotti in his post-match news conference were about his future.

It happens when you get knocked out of the Champions League, but the way it was done means they will look for the head of the manager.

Brazil need a manager, I think he will retire from club management.

Xabi Alonso could be the replacement.

Image source, Getty Images

If Trent Alexander-Arnold does sign for Real Madrid, there is one thing that Julien Laurens and Guillem Balague can agree upon, Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to be his manager...

Julien Laurens
European football expert on Champions League MOTD

Carlo [Ancelotti] has another season on his contract, but he won’t be there next season. I think the game [against Arsenal] is an embarrassment.

You’re still the reigning champions, you have amazing talents, maybe the best players in the world. To lose in this manner where there was no plan. Tactically it was an absolute mess. It is just not acceptable.

Image source, Getty Images

For many people in Madrid, Ciaran, the talk is less about who Real will add to their squad in the summer and more about who will be leaving the Bernabeu...

A little extreme maybe from Dan, but the stats do lend some weight to his argument.

Real Madrid needed three goals without reply to force extra time against Arsenal at the Bernabeu.

They only managed three shots on target all evening.

Football is a game of fine margins.

Would the outcome have been any different had VAR not intervened to overturn a decision to award Real Madrid a first-half penalty?

If there was to be any hope of a Real Madrid comeback on Wednesday evening, they needed their stars to deliver.

With the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde among the starting XI, there wasn't a lack of them, but deliver they did not.

Mbappe was arguably the biggest culprit on the night.

The France forward struggled to get in behind a resilient Arsenal back four and aside from winning a penalty, that was later overturned by VAR, he remained largely anonymous.

He had fewer touches than anyone else on the field on the night and was ultimately substituted on 75 minutes after picking up an injury.

Image source, Getty Images