Alan Shearer has named the ‘favourite’ to win the Champions League ahead of Arsenal.
Arsenal boast a three-goal lead over Real Madrid ahead of the second leg of their quarter-final tie at the Bernabeu.
Just last week Madrid were favourites to defend their Champions League crown but Arsenal stunned the European champions in the first leg, winning 3-0 thanks to two Declan Rice free-kicks and Mikel Merino’s goal.
Real Madrid have never overturned a three-goal deficit to progress in Europe and face an Arsenal side that have conceded just 27 goals in 32 league games this season.
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Barcelona take a 4-0 lead to Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain lead 3-1 ahead of their second leg against Aston Villa.
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In the round’s most competitive tie, Inter Milan lead Bayern Munich 2-1 ahead of an intriguing return leg at the San Siro.
Looking ahead to the four quarter-final second leg matches, Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast: ‘I would put Barcelona favourites.
‘I think they’re still the favourites after that victory [over Dortmund], they were so impressive. They’re favourites for me.
‘PSG look strong too. I remember watching them at Arsenal in September in the group stage and they looked average, they really did.
‘Arsenal battered them really and looked so comfortable. For PSG to go from that to the form they’re showing now is outstanding.’
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‘We were nowhere near it. That’s the fact and Arsenal were really good. I know two of their goals were free-kicks but they could have had way more.
There is a second leg and that’s what we’re holding on to. We need something really special, something crazy really but one place where crazy things happen is our house.
‘We’ve got 90 more minutes at home to pull something out of the bag. We’re still alive, we’ve got 90 mins of football and anything can happen at the Bernabeu.
‘We got punished and that happens at top-level football. In these games, you need to create more.
‘Very rarely do you come to a place like this score one goal and take your lead back home. We didn’t do enough on the ball to threaten.’
Speaking to Prime Video
Gary Lineker believes Spanish giants Barcelona and French champions PSG are the two standout teams left in the Champions League.
‘Would you put PSG as favourites now? Possibly, or maybe Barcelona, those are the two for me,’ the ex-England striker said.
‘PSG are really good to watch, they’re so intense and they were superb in both legs against Liverpool.’
Micah Richards, meanwhile, said: ”I would say it’s 50:50 between PSG and Barcelona and that’s not me sitting on the fence.
‘Barcelona’s frontline is ridiculous but that high line they play can be dangerous. They battered Dortmund but Dortmund got in three times.
‘Against better teams they will get punished, that’s my only worry for Barcelona.’
Despite Arsenal’s healthy lead over Real Madrid, Gunners fans and Mikel Arteta will be wary of a turnaround at the Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have repeatedly found a way to get the job done in the Champions League, winning two of the last three competitions.
‘If it were anyone else – anyone else – you’d be saying it’s done, there’s no way back,’ Lineker added.
‘But that lot in Madrid, crazy things happen for them in this competition. It’s not over yet but a three-goal lead gives Arsenal a huge chance to get to the semis.’
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