By Kabiru Abdulrauf.
As Arsenal prepare to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash, both teams will have more than just goals on their minds—disciplinary suspensions are looming large.
A total of nine players—four from Arsenal and five from Real Madrid—are just one yellow card away from missing the all-important first leg of the semi-final, should their team advance. Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, and Gabriel Martinelli are all walking a disciplinary tightrope. Any caution picked up in Madrid will rule them out of a potential semi-final first leg.
On the Spanish side, Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, Antonio Rüdiger, rising talent Endrick, and utility man Lucas Vázquez face the same risk. Adding to the tension, manager Carlo Ancelotti himself is also one yellow card away from a touchline ban.
The stakes are particularly high with the yellow card slate set to be wiped clean after the quarter-final stage—meaning players just need to survive this one last test without a booking to have a clean disciplinary record for the semis.
Arsenal go into Wednesday’s clash with a commanding 3–0 advantage from the first leg at the Emirates, giving Mikel Arteta’s men a strong cushion. But with Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the next round, any potential suspension could prove costly for either side.
With tempers sure to flare and challenges flying in under the bright lights of the Bernabéu, discipline could be just as decisive as goals in determining who books a place in the final four of Europe’s most prestigious competition.
