The footballing world will turn its attention to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night as Real Madrid attempt to complete one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history against Arsenal. The reigning European champions looked shell-shocked last week as they were played off the pitch by the Gunners in the first leg.
Declan Rice thundered in two second half free-kicks in quick succession before Mikel Merino made it 3-0 to the north Londoners, sealing one of the greatest wins in the club’s modern history. Yet, any football fan will know that Real Madrid, especially at the iconic Bernabeu, are capable of anything. And the record 15-time winners of the competition’s firepower means a three-goal deficit can certainly be overturned.
Both Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta will have to deal with a long list of absentees due to injury, while Los Blancos midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will be out due to a red card he received in the first leg.
It marks only the second time Arsenal and Real have faced each other at the Bernabeu, with Thierry Henry securing a famous 1-0 Arsenal win on aggregate 19 years ago thanks to a trademark solo run and finish. And with Arteta desperately hoping to see out the tie without a calamitous upset, Mirror Football brings you all you need to know about how to watch the game in the UK.
As the main provider of Champions League content in the United Kingdom, the tantalising fixture can be watched on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate for those with a valid subscription.
Those who prefer to tune in online can watch the encounter on their computers, mobile phones or tablets by subscribing to TNT Sports through the Discovery+ or the TNT Sports app. It is also possible to subscribe to TNT Sports if you are a BT, EE, Sky Sports, and Virgin Media customer.
Aston Villa face PSG in the Champions League quarter-final on April 9.
The game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports, which costs £30.99 on a rolling monthly basis via the Discovery+ Prime Video channel and also includes the Europa League and Conference League.
Coverage for the clash begins at 7pm UK time on Wednesday. There will be analysis from the TNT Sports panel and interviews, up until 8pm, when the game kicks off in the Spanish capital.
The winner of the tie will progress to the semi-final, where they’ll face the victor of Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain. PSG are currently the more likely opponent given that they won the first leg 3-1 at home.
However, the atmosphere at Villa Park will certainly play into Unai Emery’s hands, with his side undefeated at home so far in the competition despite facing the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus. The Spanish manager has, however, only reached the semi-finals of the Champions League once with Villarreal in 2022.
The semi-final first legs will be played on either April 29/30, with the return legs on May 6/7.
Real Madrid’s players and manager are still confident they can perform a miracle. Englishman Jude Bellingham wrote on his Instagram story after the first leg: “Not over yet.”
Vinicius Junior, who was anonymous for much of the first leg, wrote on Instagram after their 1-0 win at Alaves on Sunday: “Already thinking about Wednesday! We’re ready and looking forward to it. We’ll wait for you at the Bernabeu and we’ll try everything. WE ARE THE REAL.”
It has been reported that the Spanish giants’ ultras are planning “something they have never done before” for when the team bus arrives on the road to the Bernabeu. The club too have planned a motivational video for the players before the game, while the roof will be closed to improve the atmosphere throughout the 90 minutes.
Asked about the chances of a comeback, Ancelotti said with one raised eyebrow: “We will try. It happened many times. We will try until the last minute.”
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