Arsenal must take advantage of new Real Madrid weakness in Champions League quarter-final

Thibaut Courtois was the man selected by Carlo Ancelotti to take on pre-match presser duties ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at the Emirates.

Courtois has missed Real Madrid's previous three outings due to a thigh issue, and reporters were keen to gauge his fitness after travelling to north London. "I’m fully recovered. I’m fit. It wasn’t a big problem. I’ve been on the pitch for the last few days," he asserted (via The Athletic).

Courtois' return is a big boost for the visitors, who are aiming to bypass the Gunners on their way to a 16th Champions League crown. They're synonymous with this competition, with opponents seemingly forced to overcome the supernatural in order to prevail. Madrid are masters of chaos. Moments of apparent strife facilitate serenity, with Carlo Ancelotti's stoic aura empowering the superstars the club will perpetually boast.

Heritage counts for plenty on big European nights, as the Gunners discovered against Bayern Munich last season, but Madrid have manifested vulnerability on countless occasions this season. They've lost ten (!) times in 2024/25, and recent outings have surely excited a certain Nicolas Jover. Remember him?

“Defending set pieces is very important. We know they're dangerous," Courtois noted, with the visiting media contingent distinctly concerned over a potential mismatch from dead-ball situations.

Real Madrid's recent set-piece issues offers Arsenal hope

Taming Real Madrid's superstars in attack will, of course, go a long way to winning this tie, but you've got to think that the Gunners are going to have to score at least a couple to topple the Champions League's final boss.

Bukayo Saka's return is massive for Mikel Arteta - and Jover. In his absence, Arsenal not only stuttered from open play, but their output from set-pieces also drastically declined. In 2025, an Arsenal player has scored just once from a set-piece (there was a Dominic Solanke own goal back in January), and they've since been usurped by Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace as the division's dead-ball specialists.

Saka's consistently brilliant inswinging delivery played a major role in Arsenal's success during the first half of the campaign, and his comeback from injury should ignite a resurgence.

Real Madrid's issues from set-pieces are new, and perhaps their downturn can be explained by Courtois' absence. Although, the Belgian ranks 20th in La Liga for crosses stopped per 90 minutes this season (3.5%). Andriy Lunin doesn't command the box like the towering Courtois, though, and he was at fault for the set-piece goal Madrid conceded at the last to Real Sociedad in their eventual 4-4 draw last week - a result which was enough to send them into the Copa del Rey final.

Mouctar Diakhaby then headed home from an outswinging corner in a memorable victory for Valencia at the Bernabeu on Saturday. The visiting skipper powered over Madrid box general Antonio Rudiger before finishing emphatically. It was just the fifth set-piece goal Ancelotti's side have conceded in La Liga.

Their recent fallibility from such situations has sparked fear in the Spanish capital ahead of their trip to north London, with Madrid facing a team who were once lauded/derided for their set-piece reliance. However, opponents have seemingly wised up to Jover's tricks, with the absence of blockers seemingly limiting Arsenal's threat in recent months. Saka supplies more consistent quality, but Kai Havertz and Gabriel's injuries mean Arsenal have lost two of the most likely players to crash the ball into the back of the Madrid net.

Thus, the onus is on Jover to weave his crafty wand once more with his biggest weapon - Saka's left boot - returning to wreak havoc. Madrid's recent blip defending their box may be nothing more than anomalous, but concerns from Spain suggest this is an avenue the Gunners must aim to exploit if they're to bypass the perennial European champions.

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