Arsenal will be confronted with Real Madrid on Tuesday evening in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and former Gunners Rechtsback Emmanuel Eboue has offered his view of the opportunities of his old team
Emmanuel Eboue has insisted that Arsenal should do everything in their attack on Real Madrid in the Emirates Stadium, while also retaining a solid defense against the ruling Champions League holders.
The former Gunner, which was part of the team that defeated Real Madrid in their journey to the final of the European Elite Club competition in the 2005/06 season, gave some important advice to the current team prior to their first stage against the La Liga side.
Eboue played for Arsenal from 2005 to 2011, giving 214 performances and 10 goals from his right back position, and offering 20 assists during his time in North London.
The Ivoriaan was part of an Arsenal team with the will of Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Cesc Fabregas, Robert Pires and Sol Campbell -who all started in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona.
Despite a 2-1 defeat in the night, with goals from Campbell for Arsenal and both Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti who win the victory for Barca, Eboue is no stranger to winning tough competitions in Europe.
During the journey from Arsenal to the 2006 final, they conquered a formidable Madrid side in the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over total thanks to a Thierry Henry goal in the Bernabeu, who saw them progress to the quarterfinals. At that time, the Spanish club had legends such as Zinedine Zidane, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham and Ronaldo Nazario, but Eboue and his defensive partners held the European giants on Bay and Advanced.
Eboue has urged the current team to prioritize a strong defensive performance against Real Madrid, because he told mybining sites that a clean slate is crucial in tonight's clash in the Champions League.
The former right back also emphasized the importance of taking opportunities and scoring as many goals as possible, to make a considerable advantage for the Bernabeu for the second stage.
Eboue said: “People think it will be easy for Arsenal at home because Real Madrid has not been to their best, but as I said – Real Madrid is Real Madrid.
“We have to play our football, do our best and take the opportunities that come on our way. Every chance must be converted because the second stage is in the Bernabeu. It is crucial to score as much as possible with the Emirates, and not to admit.”
Although they trust in the capacities of Arsenal, Eboue recognized the history of Madrid's dominance in the competition and their ability to win, even if they do not play well. He said: “I watched Real Madrid a few times this season a few times. They don't really play well, but they win. That's the problem for Arsenal.
“They have great players, so even if the team is not playing well, they still win in the end. You can see Mbappe score two goals, Vinicius tinkerts important steps and Bellingham produces moments of magic. Arsenal has played well in every game. To be honest, I feel that they have played very good football, and I really enjoyed watching.”
Eboue also expressed his concern about the recent defensive struggles of Arsenal in the Premier League, even though they had admitted fewer goals this season compared to the previous one. In the 2023/24 season, the side of Mikel Arteta made 29 goals, but with 26 already admitted this year and seven more games left, the risk of ending with a worse record.
The 41-year-old noticed this worrying trend, as he said: “A problem this year is that they admitted more than last season. Last year they were very compact and they don't give much admittedly. This year they have left more goals, and that is not good.
“In the match against Real Madrid, Arsenal will be the better team, but they will have to be careful because Real Madrid is still Real Madrid.”
Eboue, however, has identified one player who could be their radiant light – Jakub Kiwior. The 25-year-old will probably start against Madrid, given that the usual center half partner of William Saliba, Gabriel, is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
The Polish defender has made 19 performances for the club this season, including six in the Champions League – four starts and two of the bank. Eboue has instructed Saliba to support Kiwior in Tuesday's competition, in the conviction that the duo can be what Arsenal needs to make progress in the competition.
He added: “Do you know what? If Kiwior plays for Arsenal, this means he is a good player. So for me, Saliba Kiwior has to help a lot. He doesn't play often, and it will be difficult for him to be Mbappe, Vinicius, or Bellingham – who is honest on the field.
The first stage of Arsenal vs Real Madrid starts on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. at the Emirates Stadium, with the road planned for Wednesday 16 April at 8 p.m.
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