Manuel Sanchez
Spanish football journalist speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live

At the end of it all this is the Champions League. It is Real Madrid's territory. This is where they play at their higher level.

You can never rule them out in these kind of matches. I've seen them win the competition even when they have finished sixth or seventh in La Liga.

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Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter at the Emirates Stadium

The atmosphere has just kicked up a notch as we get around ten minutes away from kick off.

The away end is packed with the Madrid fans waving their scarves and the home crowd have started to get their chants going.

Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Arsenal's defensive game plan is going to be key. They won't have the lion's share of the ball and so will maybe look to hit on the counter, but they have to defend well.

The back four are going to have to play out of their skin and have a really solid game as a unit.

BBC Sounds

You can get tonight’s 5 Live commentary of Arsenal v Real Madrid on the BBC Sounds app. So if you’re out and about, you can listen on the go.

Or if you’re at home you can listen via smart speaker, just ask your device to “Play 5 Live”.

How do Arsenal overcome the juggernaut that is Real Madrid?

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague discusses what the Gunners have to do on The Football News Show.

When you think of the Champions League, you think of Real Madrid and for good reason.

Los Blancos have lifted Europe's elite trophy 15 times and will fancy themselves to make it 16 this season.

Since 2014, Madrid have claimed a further six Champions League trophies. Scary stuff.

Image source, Getty Images

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Arsenal fan Rakeem Noblespeaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about Arsenal's injury worries: "The question has to be asked, how fit is Bukayo Saka? He's been out for four months and now he is coming back into one of the biggest games of his career. You have to hope for a bit of magic.

"We are going to be up against Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, four of the hardest attackers in football and we are missing one of our main men at the back. So we are going to have to rely on a bit of Emirates magic."

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Arsenal skipper Thierry Henry was the star man when the Gunners last faced Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Cast your mind back to 2006...

Henry at the peak of his powers raced clear of Madrid's defence to slide home a finish past Iker Casillas in front of a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd, handing Arsenal a first leg lead in the last sixteen.

The Gunners completed the job back in north London, nullifying the likes of David Beckham, Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane and Raul to claim a 0-0 draw, advancing to the last eight 1-0 on aggregate.

Real Madrid have taken on Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Leeds, Chelsea and Arsenal in the Champions League and there's is only one side who haven't yet tasted defeat to the 15-time champions.

You guessed it... it's Arsenal! The Gunners won 1-0 in the Bernabeu before securing a 0-0 draw at Highbury to book their spot in the 2006 final.

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Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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A full Norway international aged 15, Martin Odegaard was used to the hype.

But as photographers circled and film crews jostled at his Real Madrid unveiling, there was a sense the awkward kid in a stripey jumper was a teenage superstar struck by the galactico glare.

More than 30 clubs around Europe made enquiries for Odegaard while he was a youngster at Stromsgodset in Norway, and he visited the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and, of course, Real.

On Tuesday, in the Champions League quarter-finals, Odegaard will face his former side for the first time since leaving the Bernabeu on a permanent basis four years ago, proudly flexing the captain's armband when he leads the Gunners out at Emirates Stadium.

He has been such a success at Arsenal, it begs the question as to why it did not work out in Madrid.

Read the full article on the BBC Sport website

Kylian Mbappe faced plenty of criticism earlier in the season for his performances in a Real Madrid shirt after making the switch from PSG in the summer.

The France skipper has certainly turned a corner and now looks every bit the Galactico people thought he would.

Class is permanent and all that.

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Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

In past seasons when Real Madrid have gone far in this competition and won it they have taken a little time to warm into it.

They struggled through the group phase, they had to go into the play-offs and face Man City, then a tight last sixteen win over Atletico Madrid - it is not convincing by any means.

But, they just know how to get the job done. The history carries them through. Arsenal will have to do overtime to battle against that.

Arsenal

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to Amazon Prime: "Very excited. It's a massive game. Great place to play it in front of a lot of people. I can't wait.

"It's a massive game for everyone at the club and we're ready. It's a massive test but we feel ready. We're going to go for it and hopefully we'll make it happen"

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Will Harry Kane be making an impact tonight?

The England captain has been directly involved in 50 goals in 55 games in the Champions League (39 goals, 11 assists), including 12 in 11 outings in the competition this term.

Only Robert Lewandowski has had a hand in more in a single campaign for Bayern Munich (20 in 2019-20, 16 in 2021-22).

It's been another goal-filled season for Harry Kane and he sits just one behind Barcelona's Raphinha in the Champions League scoring charts this season.

The England skipper will be up against the competition's toughest defence tonight but if you fancy anyone to breach it then it's him.

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