Arsenal vs Real Madrid: Paul Merson says Gunners must win first leg by two goals to have hope of making Champions League semi-finals | Football News

In his latest column in Sky Sports, Paul Merson inspects the quarter -finals in the Champions League, with Arsenal and Aston Villa at work.

Facing Gunners Mike Arteta, holders and 15 times the UEFA Champions League winners, with the first leg in the UAE on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, Villa continues their journey a day after they visit Paris Saint -Germain, who left the Premier League leaders Liverpool in the last round. The neck tie is seen visiting Unai Emery and Marco Asensio their previous club.

Read below to get the magic man’s ideas on the last eight clashes …

“Arsenal must win the first stage – perhaps by at least two.”

Arsenal won this first station. Winning with one is the minimum, I think they will have to win at least.

We saw this in the quarter-finals last year with Bayern Munich, where he was comfortable for Bayern in the second stage, after a 2-2 draw in the Emirates. I do not see Real Madrid not scoring two goals in Bernabeu.

The real does not play well at the present time. Arsenal will hurt them because the real is a lot of goals at the present time.

They lost to Valencia at the weekend, and they lost in Bernabeu to real Sociedad in the second stage of the semi-finals of the Cuba del Rey, which is the match before that against Leganes were 2-1 before they returned and won 3-2.

But although they are not playing well, they are always attending the Champions League. This is anxiety on Arsenal.

It should be real against Atletico Madrid, and they find a way. I remember two years ago when they played against Chelsea in the stages of the 2022 knockout, Chelsea was comfortable in Bernabeu, but Luka Modric plays one of the greatest passes that I have ever seen with the outer part of his shoes to save them.

If Arsenal is able to reach two progress in the first stage, I think they have a chance.

It is a great order to ask for arsenal – but I will not judge Mikel Artita on this. You have to weigh it, and they have no centralization forward and lost the central back in Gabriel.

Judging arteta next season when he gets the center. If they do not win the league after getting the middle, I think it will be in a big problem.

“Gabriel’s injury is destroying Arsenal’s chances”

I thought it was a 50:50 chance when Bocao Saka returned from injury. But now with Gabriel injury, I say 25 percent.

If you have a choice between Saka and Jabriel for these legs, you will choose Gabriel. Because the way Arsenal will win is if it makes it a cup tie. If this reaches the Gung-Ho football match, there is only one winner.

Saliba and Gabriel makes each other better. They are like Cole Palmer and Nicholas Jackson, but rather much better playing together.

It is a big thing Jakub Kiwior asked, if the person who will start. Jurien Timber only played in the middle once or twice, while Ben White had come out for a long time.

You ask someone hardly playing – because it is not like the other two – to come to the Champions League quarter -finals. Kyor is fine, but it is not Arsenal.

And you are asking Kyuor Mark for him. Kylian Mbappe, the best in the world or at least in the first three places alongside Harry Kane and Erling Halland.

He plays on the shoulder and if he faces it, I do not see anyone hunting it.

I think this is anxiety for me with Arsenal. They will have to win this football match and sometimes chase them. This is a dangerous place.

“Rashford’s pace can hurt a villa”

I have a good feeling towards Aston Villa in this one.

It is difficult for the villa, but they have 100 percent who got a pace on the counter -attack and the raid to harm Paris Saint -Germain.

They have the pace of Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers and John McGin, and they will achieve opportunities.

Villa will have to play the anti -attack game, and if PSG pushes people forward, I only remember when Rashford did it to Paris Saint -Germain where he was in Manchester United.

My only concern is that I couldn’t see Aston Villa as he did what Liverpool did with Paris Saint -Germain in the first stage. Any other cup tie in the world had exceeded that night.

But Liverpool was much better at the second station. I thought they destroyed Paris Saint -Germain, who could not get out of that night. This may be the PSG that appears.

But my anxiety is the first station against Liverpool. If you play Psg anywhere like this, it will be difficult for Aston Villa.

The first stage in Paris may be the game in which Paris Saint -Germain Villa harms a little more. Paris Saint -Germain will come out and I do not think that a villa can play such a high line compared to what they usually play.

And if they do so, Osman Dembele will not pick up on Sunday.

I think that if one villa is lost in the first stage in Paris, they have a chance. I think Villa will score goals in this tie.

The only thing is that you do not have targets away – which I think was the worst change in the base you have ever seen.

This goal was far from the game, and that’s what Europe was. All he does is that you can go out and be negative in the first stage.

If you overcame 1-0, it is now a great result in Europe. When I played in Europe, I got 1-0 victory and this is a terrible result.