Arsenal vs Real Madrid: Supercomputer Makes Interesting Champions League Prediction
- Opta's supercomputer has predicted that Arsenal will beat Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final
- The Gunners will host Los Blancos at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in a highly UCL showdown
- Injury concerns have seriously affected both clubs, with both sides set to lock horns without key players
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Opta's Supercomputer has predicted that Premier League giants Arsenal will defeat Spanish club Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League clash this week.
The Gunners will host La Liga powerhouse Real at the iconic Emirates Stadium for the first leg of the highly anticipated clash on Tuesday night.
Source: Getty Images
Arteta's side advanced to the quarter-finals after a dominant 9-3 aggregate win over Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
Meanwhile, Real booked their place in the quarters by edging out city rivals Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout, following 1-1 draws in both legs.
Opta's supercomputer prediction
Even though Los Blancos have a rich history in the Champions League, Opta’s AI-powered prediction tool has slightly favoured the Gunners to advance.
According to the data, Arsenal has a 50.2% chance of reaching the semi-finals, while Real sits just behind with 49.8%, making it a very tight matchup.
Mikel Arteta: We are going to create our own story
Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta emphasised that the game is going to be one of the biggest in his managerial career.
"It is one of the most special things. It's a competition that we've been waiting for for many, many years. The fact that we've only been twice at this stage in 15 years with the size of Arsenal and the difficulty of that. We're going to create our own story and go even further. Tomorrow is a beautiful opportunity for all of us," he told the club's website.
Real Madrid vs Arsenal in Europe
Real have been very successful in recent years, winning two of the last three Champions League titles and six of the last eleven.
They won last year's final 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are still chasing their first-ever Champions League trophy, despite being one of England’s top clubs.
As per the UEFA website, their best finish came in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona in the final.
Source: Getty Images
Supercomputer names clubs most likely to win UCL
According to the tool, Mikel Arteta's men are ranked as the third-favorites to win the Champions League, with a 15.6% chance of lifting the trophy.
Barcelona led the pack with a 23.1% likelihood, followed by Paris Saint-Germain at 19.3%.
Inter Milan sit in fourth with a 13.8% chance, just ahead of Real, who are fifth-favourites at 12.2%.
Bayern Munich, who could potentially host the final, are ranked sixth with a 10.8% chance of winning the Champions League. Unai Emery's Aston Villa are second-to-last with just a 3.7% likelihood.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund are seen as the underdogs, given only a 1.5% chance of winning the title.
Injury concerns for both teams ahead of the clash
Injury concerns have seriously affected both clubs, with the teams set to lock horns without key players.
The Gunners will be without Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Gabriel Magalhães, who are all sidelined with serious injuries.
Real, on the other hand, might be without both Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, which could see 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez step in as goalkeeper.
They are also expected to miss Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ferland Mendy, and former Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos.
Arsenal fans claim Premier League run was sabotaged
TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported that some Arsenal fans claimed their Premier League title chase was sabotaged by the referees.
VAR has been a hot topic among fans, with Arsenal supporters frequently criticising PGMOL over controversial decisions.
A disputed penalty in their 1-1 draw with Everton led some fans to believe their season is being sabotaged.
Martin Moses, Head of Department Sports, contributed to this article adding Mikel Arteta's sentiments ahead of the game.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
