It’s time for the Uefa Champions League quarterfinal first legs, and the two giants of Spanish football are determined to make a statement and reach the semifinals.
This Tuesday and Wednesday should be full of thrills, with FC Barcelona taking on Borussia Dortmund at home in the Champions League and with Real Madrid travelling to London to face Arsenal. Both these Spanish giants are confident of advancing.
Even if they each dropped points in their league matches over the weekend, they both still harbour dreams of winning a treble, since they're into the Copa del Rey final and battling for the LaLiga EA Sports title too.
REAL TAKE ON ARSENAL SEEKING THEIR FIRST EVER WIN AGAINST THE GUNNERS
The first of these matches is coming up on Tuesday April 8th at the Emirates Stadium in London, where Real Madrid will take on Arsenal after they managed to overcome Atlético de Madrid in the previous round, advancing on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate score.
The kings of Europe have been fairly consistent this season, domestically and on the continent. Not only did they advance away at Atlético de Madrid, but they’ve also beaten Atalanta, Brest and Manchester City on the road to get this far.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been strong at home this season, winning all four of their home matches in the league phase before drawing 2-2 at home in the last round against a PSV Eindhoven side they had already thrashed 7-1 away.
The Gunners are dreaming of winning their first Champions League title, and that 9-3 aggregate result in the Last 16 was a statement win.
They’re second in the Premier League right now, and have been buoyed by Bukayo Saka’s return from injury, especially as he scored just six minutes after returning from his 100 days out. The team will, however, be without the injured Gabriel Magalhães, and Jurrien Timber will be a doubt, so that’s a big blow for The Gunners’ defence.
Real Madrid enter this tie after enjoying a knockout tournament success the previous midweek, overcoming Real Sociedad with a 4-4 second leg draw at home after extra in the Copa del Rey, reaching the final of that tournament.
Carlo Ancelotti can call on so many great forwards, capable of scoring at any moment, as he has Rodrygo, Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé, with the Frenchman already having scored a hat-trick against an English side this season, doing so against Manchester City in the playoff round.
Yet, Real Madrid haven’t ever beaten, or even scored, against Arsenal. They have met only twice in European competition, in the Last 16 of the 2005/06 Champions League, when Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid after winning 1-0 at the Bernabéu thanks to a memorable goal from Thierry Henry and then progressing with a goalless draw at Highbury.
BARCELONA TAKE ON DORTMUND IN MONTJUÏC STILL UNBEATEN IN 2025
Another huge match this round is FC Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday April 9th. Los Culés are enjoying an exceptional season under the guidance of Hansi Flick and the LaLiga EA Sports leaders remain undefeated in all competitions in 2025, the only team in the five major European leagues to boast such a record.
In their last Champions League appearance, the Catalan outfit eliminated Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the Last 16, with key performances from players such as Wojciech Szczęsny, an unbeatable wall who has gone 20 games unbeaten, and Raphinha, the current top scorer in the Champions League with 11 goals.
The Catalan club have never lost to Borussia Dortmund in European competition. Since 2019, they’ve met three times, with Barça winning twice and drawing once. This season, they met in Germany already in the league phase, a 3-2 victory for Los Culés.
Overall this European season, it has been a success for Barça so far. They may have lost to Monaco in their first game, but have since gone nine unbeaten, for eight wins and a draw. Moreover, the Catalans have been strong at home this European campaign, where they have only dropped points once, a draw against Atalanta on the last day of the league stage.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have been up and down, losing three times already in the competition.
Robert Lewandowski will also be in the spotlight in this tie, not only because he is the second-top scorer in the five major leagues with his 25 goals, but also because of his past in Dortmund where he made a name for himself.
In his four seasons there, he scored 103 goals in 187 games. Today, he dreams of winning a Champions League with FC Barcelona, and that mission continues on Wednesday.