Arsenal vs Real Madrid LIVE: Gunners require comeback in second leg of Women’s Champions League quarter-finals

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with live coverage beginning at 7.30pm GMT. A live stream will be available to subscribers via discovery+, or for free via Dazn’s YouTube channel.

Kick-off is at 8pm at the Emirates.

This is Arsenal’s 16th UWCL quarter-final and the opening leg in Spain was their first defeat of the campaign, after the Gunners won five of their six group games and drew one to finish above Bayern Munich, Juventus and Valerenga.

That gave them the advantage of a home second leg, and they’ll need all the support of the Emirates crowd to overturn a two-goal deficit and advance to the semi-finals for the eighth time.

But they may also be hoping for the pressure of the situation to get to Real Madrid, who are appearing in just their second quarter-final in the competition and have never reached the last four.

Athenea starts for Real Madrid, replacing the injured Melanie Leupolz. Caroline Weir, who scored two goals against Barcelona midweek from the bench, returns to the starting line-up but drops into midfield.

Real Madrid XI: Misa, Sheila García, María Méndez, Lakrar, Olga Carmona, Toletti, Angeldahl, Weir, Linda Caicedo, Bruun, Athenea del Castillo

Substitutes: Yasmim, Noemí Bejarano, Carla Camacho, Irune Dorado, N. Feller, Sofía Fuente, Laia López, C. Møller, Eva Navarro, Alba Redondo, Elsa Santos, Antônia

Little has been cleared to play after taking a knock against Liverpool mid-week, with the same starting XI from that 4-0 win.

Arsenal XI: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Mariona, Little (C), McCabe, Maanum, Foord, Kelly, Russo

Substitutes: Zinsberger, Williams, Codina, Ilestedt, Nighswonger, Reid, Walti, Cooney-Cross, Pelova, Mead, Kafaji, Blackstenius

We’re expecting team news shortly, with Kim Little a doubt for Arsenal after she was forced off in the second half of their last outing, a 4-0 win over Liverpool.

Lotte Wubben-Moy remains unavailable for selection, but Victoria Pelova made her return against Liverpool from a long-term knee injury and will add depth to the hosts’ bench.

The visitors will be missing Rocio Galvez and Teresa Abelleira, who have both been ruled out for the rest of the season, while Melanie Leupolz will join the absentees after she tore a ligament in last week’s match.

Elsewhere in the Women’s Champions League, substitute Vivianne Miedema scored a brace as Manchester City inflicted Chelsea‘s first defeat of the season by beating them 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Joie Stadium.

Miedema, having come off the bench for the start of the second half, put City in front on the hour mark, rifling in the rebound when Hannah Hampton tipped Laia Aleixandri’s header against the crossbar.

And after Chelsea substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneryd had struck the bar at the other end in the 80th minute, Miedema added her second with two minutes of normal time remaining to give City a two-goal advantage heading into Thursday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.

A reminder of the quarter-finallists from the draw in February:

Real Madrid vs Arsenal (first leg: 2-0)

Manchester City vs Chelsea (first leg: 2-0)

Wolfsburg vs FC Barcelona (first leg: 4-1)

Bayern Munich vs Lyon (first leg: 0-2)

And Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman also raised concerns over player safety after the match was overshadowed by poor playing conditions.

Held at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, the 6,000-seater home of Real’s reserves, questions were raised at why the contest wasn’t staged at the Bernabeu, which was available during the men’s international break.

The visitors conceded a 2-0 first-leg deficit as Real Madrid made a strong start to their quarter-final ahead of the second half of the tie at the Emirates Stadium next week.

Much of the focus after the game was on the substandard playing surface at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, with both sides struggling for fluency on a waterlogged, muddy pitch – but Arsenal the worse off.