You don’t see such epic battering in that stage of the Champions League too often, do you?Arsenal properly humiliated PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the UCL Round of 16 last Tuesday in the Netherlands (7-1), and tonight’s return leg at Emirates (11 pm) will be a genuine dead rubber.This club is refunding money because of their team playStill, it doesn’t mean that Mikel Arteta will act in a way of resting all of his important players and just enjoying himself carelessly this Wednesday night.On the contrary, the first-leg battering allows Arsenal to shift their focus to the upcoming quarter-finals. There, the North Londoners will face the winner of the Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid clash.Whoever wins it tonight at Wanda Metropolitano, that quarter-final clash will be a massive hurdle for Arteta’s boys in the next round. Therefore, they should already look for solutions and tactical approaches that would allow them to be competitive against La Liga giants.
As things stand, this PSV tie will see the big return of almost forgotten Gabriel Martinelli, who’s been sidelined ever since early February. The Brazilian forward clocked around 30 minutes in a 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester United at the weekend and is now ready to start the match for the first time after over a month.Without his serious contribution, Arsenal won’t stand a chance in the next round, regardless of whether the rival is Real Madrid or Atletico.UCL: It’s now or never for Cholo, as revenge on Real Madrid loomsLeandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling will join him tonight in the attacking line, making a trident that should improve Arsenal’s goal-scoring output ahead of the crucial part of the season. And Mikel Merino? It’s time for Arteta to give his compatriot some rest, especially from those attacking duties. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – ROUND OF 16Second legTuesdayBarcelona – Benfica 3-1 (3-1)/Raphinha 11, 42, Yamal 27 – Otamendi 13/Barcelona win 4-1 on aggInter Milan – Feyenoord 2-1 (1-1)/Thuram 8, Cahlanoglu 51 pen – Moder 42 pen/Inter win 4-1 on aggBayer Leverkusen – Bayern Munich 0-2 (0-0)/Kane 52, Davies 71/Bayern win 5-0 on aggLiverpool – PSG 0-1 (0-1)/Dembele 12/PSG win 5-3 after penalty shootoutWednesday20.45: (2.85) Lille (3.35) Dortmund (2.65)23.00: (1.42) Arsenal (4.80) PSV (9.00)23.00: (1.62) Aston Villa (3.90) Club Brugge (5.60)23.00: (2.60) Atl. Madrid (3.50) Real Madrid (2.85)***odds are subject to change***