Arsenal v Real Madrid: Champions League quarter-final - live

now 21.50 CEST Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Real Madrid All square at the Emirates. Both teams will feel they could be ahead: Arsenal created more openings, with Bukayo Saka superb, but Real had the clearest chance when Kylian Mbappe shot too close to David Raya. See you in 10 minutes for the second half. Share

2m ago 21.48 CEST 45+2 min Camavinga blooters high and wide from distance. Share

2m ago 21.47 CEST 45 min Two minutes of added business. Share

3m ago 21.47 CEST 45 min On reflection, ie having seen a replay, Rice’s header wasn’t right in the corner. It was a tough chance and a good effort, but a player with his standards will be frustrated he didn’t do better. Share

4m ago 21.46 CEST 44 min: Double save by Courtois! Timber’s short-range cross is met superbly by Rice, who powers a header into the ground and across goal. Courtois dives to his right to push it away and springs to his feet to push away Martinelli’s stinging follow-up. The first save was the best one. Share

5m ago 21.45 CEST 43 min A few minutes ago I was going to type ‘Arsenal need half-time’ but now they are on the front foot. It’s been an intriguing half, an arm-wrestle rather than a slugfest. Share

7m ago 21.42 CEST 40 min Odegaard and Saka are starting to work their magic. Odegaard slices Real open with a superb return pass to Saka, who beats Alaba for pace and shoots first time from the angle. It hits Rudiger in the six-yard box and flashes across the face of goal. Share

9m ago 21.41 CEST 39 min “Timber must be a great name for football commentators to belt out,” says Peadar de Burca. “My own favourite was Goikoetxea!!!! as it always sounded like the gates of Hell had broken open, which was usually the case when Andoni from Bilbao was putting the hurt on.” You do realise the commentators say ‘Tim-ber’ rather than ‘Tim-berrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!’? In terms of phonetic appeal, I’ve always had a soft spot for Julio Olarticoechea. I like Gunter Netzer too, mainly because it evokes a life I’ll never lead. Share

10m ago 21.39 CEST 38 min If Mick Quinn was playing up front tonight, even at the age of 62, Arsenal would be 1-0 up now. View image in fullscreen Micky Quinn: A great goal scorer and mustachioed legend. Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty Images Share Updated at 21.48 CEST

11m ago 21.39 CEST 37 min: Chance for Arsenal! At the moment the game is being played on Real’s terms, though it only takes a moment to change that. It almost comes when Saka goes outside Alaba in the area and drives a magnificent ball that flashes right across the six-yard box. It was crying out for somebody to roof it from four yards but there were no Arsenal players in there. Share

14m ago 21.35 CEST 34 min This is Real’s best spell, and the Emirates is becoming a more nervous place. The first goal is huge, Brobdingnagian even. Share

16m ago 21.34 CEST 33 min “If Lewis-Skelly lived his entire life to date all over again, he’d still be two years younger than Modric,” says Zach Neeley. “They’re using every second of that man.” Share

17m ago 21.32 CEST 31 min: Big chance for Mbappe! This time Mbappe times his run perfectly, in between Saliba and Kiwior, to receive Bellingham’s sliderule pass from the left. Mbappe opens his body for the Thierry Henry finish – when in Rome and all that – but hits it too close to Raya and he makes a relatively comfortable save. Share

19m ago 21.30 CEST 30 min Lewis-Skelly is making the extra man in midfield when Arsenal have the ball, so much so that he’s just received a pass in the inside-right channel. For once, his pass forward is poor and Real have a throw-in. Share

21m ago 21.28 CEST 27 min Arsenal’s promising start is beginning to evaporate. They’re not being outplayed, far from it, but they haven’t worked Courtois as much as they would have hoped. Share

24m ago 21.26 CEST 25 min Timber is up and about. Share

24m ago 21.26 CEST 23 min Mbappe, slightly offside, wafts over the bar from the edge of the area. The oprning stemmed from an exceedingly dodgy square pass from Kiwior that put Saliba in trouble. Vinicius Jr challenged him and then played in Mbappe, who started his run too early and was offside. Timber has hurt himself while trying to challenge Mbappe. He’s down and needs treatment. View image in fullscreen Kylian Mbappe fires over from an offside position. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images Share Updated at 21.28 CEST

26m ago 21.24 CEST 22 min “Are Real already time wasting?” sniffs Joe Pearson. “Come on!” Are they? Share

28m ago 21.22 CEST 21 min Odegaard seems to be fouled by Camavinga, 25 yards from goal, but the referee waves him up. Real break and Vinicius, on the edge of the area, shoots a few yards of the far post. Had that gone in, there would have been mayham because it looked a clear foul on Odegaard. Share

29m ago 21.20 CEST 19 min Lewis-Skelly gallops forward and tries to find Martinelli on the left side of the area. Asencio comes across to make a good sliding challenge. So far Lewis-Skelly has looked eerily composed. I was going to compare him to Ashley Cole when he emerged, but at the same age Cole hadn’t played for the first team. Share

31m ago 21.18 CEST 18 min Odegaard, leading the press, fouls Modric and gets a warning from the referee. It was a free-kick but no more than that. Share Updated at 21.19 CEST

33m ago 21.16 CEST 15 min: No penalty Football is mad, but it’s not that mad. Share

35m ago 21.14 CEST 15 min: VAR check for an Arsenal penalty Just before Partey’s shot, a volley from Rice hit the arm Asensio at the near post. It’s never a penalty in a million years, to my eyes, but it’s still being checked… Share Updated at 21.15 CEST

36m ago 21.14 CEST 13 min: Courtois saves from Partey Martinelli roasts Valverde on the left and crosses to the near post. Rice’s adroit left-foot volley hits Asensio, barely a yard away, and runs loose. The ball is then touched back to Partey, whose low shot from the edge of the D is pushed away unconvincingly by Courtois. He was unsighted I guess. Share Updated at 21.16 CEST

38m ago 21.12 CEST 11 min It’s been a pretty good start for Arsenal, but they do look susceptible to the counter-attack, particularly through Vinicius Jr. Halfway through typing the previous sentence, it dawned on me that there isn’t a team in the world who aren’t susceptible to counter-attacks led by Vinicius Jr. Share

40m ago 21.10 CEST 10 min We’ve just seen a replay of that second Saka corner. It was missed by Partey, who couldn’t get under the ball as it started to dip, and then hit the unsighted Saliba almost on the goalline. View image in fullscreen A Toolmaker’s son watches the game from the stand. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Share Updated at 21.13 CEST

41m ago 21.09 CEST 9 min Lewis-Skelly feeds a sharp pass into Rice, unmarked on the left side of the area. His cross on the turn is cut out at the near post by Asencio. That was a promising move. Share

42m ago 21.08 CEST 8 min “An Arsenal supporting London cab driver asked me today if I’d be supporting Arsenal tonight and I admitted sheepishly that I felt it would be disloyal to my beloved Bristol City to do so,” says Kim Thonger. “He grunted and proceeded directly to his second favourite topic of conversation, the outrageous price Gordon Ramsay charges for burgers, and the recent purchase by said restaurateur of a million pound Aston Martin. I have no idea if that was pure invention, but may I please wish Arsenal well tonight, and I hope they don’t spend their match win bonuses on overpriced burgers OR sports cars. They (and Gordon) could donate to this instead.” Share

42m ago 21.07 CEST 7 min Saka’s awkward, inswinging corner is pushed over the bar by Courtois. The second corner from Saka is even better, teased just above head height into the six-yard box. It beats the players at the near post, hits somebody in the middle and bounces to safety. That could have gone anywhere. View image in fullscreen Thibaut Courtois tips over the corner Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Share Updated at 21.21 CEST

43m ago 21.06 CEST 56min: Arsenal go close! Saka’s low cross takes a slight deflection and rolls towards Rudiger in the six-yard box. He whacks it into the arse of his teammate Camavinga and it deflects just wide. Share

45m ago 21.05 CEST 4 min Odegaard’s free-kick is poor and Real break ominously. Vinicius Jr seizes upon a loose pass from Saka, runs 60 yards down the left and tries to flick a cross towards Mbappe at the far post. The ball hits Saliba and ricochets into the loving arms of Raya. That was a bit of a warning shot. View image in fullscreen Vinicius Jr breaks for Real Madrid. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters Share Updated at 21.08 CEST

46m ago 21.04 CEST 3 min Saka is fouled just outside the area on the right by Modric. The noise is quite something, possibly the loudest the Emirates has been since Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona came to town in the early 2010s. Share

47m ago 21.03 CEST 2 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “2010, eh? A great year. Inter winning the Champions League for the third time a week after Dundee United won their second Scottish Cup. Two giants of European football. And both with history against Barcelona.” Share

48m ago 21.01 CEST 1 min Mbappe has an early pop from distance after a misjudgement from Kiwior (I think). Raya saves comfortably. Share

49m ago 21.00 CEST 1 min Real Madrid kick off from right to left as we watch. The atmosphere is spectacular. Share

49m ago 21.00 CEST Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti embrace warmly on the touchline. When Ancelotti first managed in this competition, Arteta was 16 years young. Share

1h ago 20.53 CEST A reminder of the teams Arsenal (4-3-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.

Substitutes: Neto, Setford, Tierney, White, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Nwaneri. Real Madrid (4-3-3ish) Courtois; Valverde, Asensio, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

Substitutes: Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre, Arda Guler, Endrick, Lucas Vazquez, Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Gonzalo, Jacobo, Chema, Lorenzo. Referee Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Share

1h ago 20.49 CEST It’s been a season of incessant frustration for Arsenal. Yet it could end with them winning the European Cup for the first time. Right now, in this exhilarating, occasionally bowel-loosening window just before kick-off, anything is possible. And nights like this don’t come along very often: it’s only Arsenal’s second Champions League quarter-final in the last 15 years. Share

1h ago 20.48 CEST This is great fun: Sean Ingle’s minute-by-minute report of Arsenal’s win in the Bernabeu 19 years ago. 47 min - GOAL! Real Madrid 0 - 1 Arsenal Brilliant from Thierry Henry! Absolutely brilliant! From just over the half-way line he turns past Ronaldo and ghosts past three Real defenders before coolly sliding it into the far corner from 15 yards. Superb. Real Madrid 0 - 1 Arsenal Read more Share Updated at 20.49 CEST

1h ago 20.30 CEST Thibaut Courtois on Arsenal’s set-piece threat We’ve worked on it. We know how we have to try to defend against them. The first thing is not to concede too many corners. It’s a matter of concentration, activation – sometimes the quality of the opponent plays a factor too. If the ball arrives perfectly, it’s difficult to defend. But we are ready to do it, we believe that what we have prepared will work out well for us. Thibaut Courtois admits Real Madrid are worried about Arsenal set pieces Read more Share

1h ago 20.29 CEST The players on a yellow card Arsenal Timber, Rice, Martinelli

Real Madrid Rudiger, Modric, Camavinga, Vinicius Jr, Endrick, Lucas Vazquez (and Carlo Ancelotti) Share

2h ago 20.15 CEST Bukayo Saka, who starts his first game in almost four months, is ready and raring I think mentally [the enforced break] was really good for me. It was really tough initially to find out the extent of my injury, that I was going to have to have surgery … But once it was done and it was successful, I was just focused on coming back stronger and had a lot of time. Obviously the past five years I’ve been playing game after game, so it was the first proper break I’ve had and it was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t really normally do. I can give you many, many examples, but you will get bored. It’s really nice to be back and I feel fresh mentally for sure. Saka mentally refreshed and ready to write ‘own story’ for Arsenal against Madrid Read more Share

2h ago 19.53 CEST Team news: Saka starts Bukayo Saka starts for the first time in 2025. That’s the big news, in part because both teams are largely as expected. Jakub Kiwior, who played at well at Everton on Saturday, is Mikel Arteta’s preferred replacement for the injured Gabriel Magalhaes. Mikel Merino will start up front. Real Madrid have a couple of changes from the second leg of their win over Atletico in the last 16. David Alaba replaces the injured Ferland Mendy at left-back; Eduardo Camavinga comes in for the suspended Aurelien Tchouameni. Arsenal (4-3-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.

Substitutes: Neto, Setford, Tierney, White, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Nwaneri. Real Madrid (4-3-3ish) Courtois; Valverde, Asensio, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

Substitutes: Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre, Arda Guler, Endrick, Lucas Vazquez, Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Gonzalo, Jacobo, Chema, Lorenzo. Referee Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina). View image in fullscreen Bukayo Saka starts for Arsenal for the first time since December. Photograph: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images Share Updated at 20.18 CEST

2h ago 19.40 CEST Real Madrid have faced 141 different teams in European competition. Only four are unbeaten against them: Ipswich Town, Aberdeen, Lille – and Arsenal, who beat Real 1-0 on aggregate in the only previous meeting between the sides. That was in the last 16 in 2005-06, when Thierry Henry’s majestic solo goal was enough to see off the ageing, ailing galacticos. View image in fullscreen Opposite the Emirates, artist NorthBanksy puts the finishing touches to a mural of Thierry Henry celebrating his winning goal against Real Madrid in 2006. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Share Updated at 19.44 CEST

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