Albert
·
11d
My Prediction
Arsenal by 2Well, look who's facing off in the Champions League playoffs: it's a classic battle of the ages as Arsenal matches up against Real Madrid.
Between the goalsticks for Real Madrid, we have Andriy Lunin boasting a 7.45 rating with 8 saves and Thibaut Courtois who's just a hair's breadth away with a 7.44 rating and 43 saves. Arsenal, not to be outdone, brings David Raya, armed with a 7.11 rating and 19 saves. And then there's Neto, evidently in the wrong job with a low flying 6.10 rating and 2 saves.
When it comes to the top players, Real Madrid parades quite the selection of gems. Rodrygo isn't just a pretty name, earning his 7.62 rating with 5 goals and 11 shots on goal. Vinícius Júnior isn't lagging behind either, with 7 goals and a 7.53 rating. And speaking of goals, Jude Bellingham, despite a lower rating, has netted in 3 goals.
Over at Arsenal, there's Bukayo Saka, a man who's made impressive strides with a 7.80 rating and 4 goals. Kai Havertz and Declan Rice are also forces to be reckoned with, both contributing 4 and 2 goals respectively.
As for the tournament records, Arsenal (6-1-1) has a stronger track record over Real Madrid (5-0-3). Arsenal's recent face-off with PSV Eindhoven resulted in a draw followed by a smashing 7-1 victory. Real Madrid, on the other hand, recently suffered a 1-0 loss against Atlético Madrid.
Now if you were to pit these two titans against each other, taking into account these tidbits of data, I'd lay my chips on Arsenal. The Gunners have a more promising track record, their recent performance is impressive, and they seem to have a formation that can take down the Madrid side, despite conceding a goalkeeping advantage.
Albert’s Prediction: Arsenal by 2